


Ex Revenge Hotline

by Lxnn



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Again, Akaashi has mad anxiety, Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Smut, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Harassment, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Insecurity, M/M, Making Out, Swearing, Toxic Relationships, Vanilla, What is the name of this AU??, cant be too sure, for like... a line but still, honestly I don’t know how to tag, im not risking it, it’s like a line, it’s not serious but, i’ll tag as i go
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-02-23 11:54:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 63,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23944486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lxnn/pseuds/Lxnn
Summary: Akaashi sighed and looked up at the sky. He was feeling peaceful. He was feeling peaceful knowing that he helped someone feel better. He felt peaceful knowing that someone who hurt another person emotionally was now just as hurt.Or: Akaashi has a side business where he is hired to date a person’s ex and then break their heart.[COMPLETED]
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji & Bokuto Koutarou, Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Bokuto Koutarou/Original Male Character(s), Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi, Tendou Satori/Ushijima Wakatoshi, Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Comments: 464
Kudos: 1232





	1. Crush Culture - Conan Gray

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly, I got the idea from the song Cooler than me by Mike Posner... yeah, the one from like... 2011. The titles are from songs that I listened to while writing this so check them out!

”No.”

“What!? Hear me out-“

“I’m not doing it. There’s no way.”

“Please!”

“This sounds like it’d take a long time to do, and I have things to do for college.”

“Just do it in your free time or something! Please! He-“ Hinata’s voice cracked, “he hurt me, Akaashi. I don’t know I just- I just want to get back at him.” 

Akaashi bit his lip at this; the guilt came in like a broken dam. On the other line, Hinata sounded on the verge of tears. Hinata had been dating a guy, a guy Akaashi can’t remember the name of to this day. The two went to different schools at the time, and Hinata’s now ex had just transferred to Akaashi’s school after the two had a very messy breakup. Hinata had found out his ex had been cheating for four months (they had been dating for seven!). That had been a week before this call; that call was something Akaashi couldn’t comprehend then and can’t comprehend now.

“So... you think me leading him on will make this better?”

Hinata went silent and then sniffled before continuing, “no, but... it will make me feel better? Kageyama offered to beat him up for me, but I don’t think beating him up is the answer. This isn’t illegal, and it feels even.”

Akaashi hummed in agreement, _‘when will he realize Kageyama is into him?’_

“I see; I guess I get it.”

“Will you do it!?” Akaashi winced at how loud his younger friend was, “I’ll pay you! I know that this will take time out of your day and stuff, so I’d pay you. Just... I guess just talk to him and stuff and then break the news? That sounds evil; does this make me evil?”

“No,” Akaashi had responded, “you’re not evil. You’re just heartbroken.”

Hinata sighed in relief, “good. I was kind of worried I came off like that.”

Akaashi hummed in response and mulled over all that Hinata had just told him.

”Hinata.”

”Yes?”

Akaashi takes in a deep breath before exhaling, ”I’ll do it. But... I have a question.”

Hinata made a weird noise before talking, “really!? Thanks! Wow, I can’t thank you enough. Go ahead! Ask me anything!”

Akaashi looked down, “why me?”

“Easy, you’re my smartest friend and one of my prettiest.”

“I’m not,” Akaashi mumbled in embarrassment, “plus, I’m not good at relationship things. I don’t know how to flirt. I have no clue how I’m going to pull this off, but I’ll try.”

“You may not be good at relationship stuff, but those two qualities I just listed will help you out,” Hinata replied, much more calmly than before.

Akaashi just hummed in response.

•••

Akaashi doesn’t remember what happened word for word or anything of that matter. Still, the one thing he does remember, and will never forget, is the look on Hinata’s ex’s face (it’s been two years since that, but Akaashi swears he doesn’t remember his name) when Akaashi told him he didn’t love him and that their whole relationship was a lie. Akaashi remembers him gaping like a fish and having the audacity to say, “how could you do this to me!?” Akaashi remembers the adrenaline he felt when he told the guy all the reasons he deserved what he got. He remembers even throwing in things he had noticed once the two had started their one-sided relationship. But most of all, Akaashi remembers the way his face looked once he realized that Akaashi had just delivered him his slice of karma that had been sitting in a fridge for too long.

Akaashi remembers thinking, _‘am I evil for enjoying this? Am I a bad person for doing this? Is Hinata a bad person for telling me to do this?’_

Those thoughts crossed his mind when he left Hinata’s ex sitting on a park bench near Hinata’s school. The one thing that interrupted them was his own voice ringing through his ears.

_“No, you’re not evil. You’re just heartbroken.”_

Akaashi sighed and looked up at the sky. He was feeling peaceful. He was feeling peaceful, knowing that he helped someone feel better.

But most of all, he was at peace knowing that someone who hurt another person emotionally was now just as hurt.


	2. Just A Stranger - Kali Uchis + Bubblegum Bitch - Marina and The Diamonds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, we see what Akaashi is up to now that he is in college.

“So... how’s Suzuki-chan doing?”

“I’m sorry!?” The man across Akaashi sputters.

“Suzuki-chan... sorry, are you no longer cheating on people with her?” Akaashi asks casually.

“How do you-“

“I was hired by one of the many girls and guys you’ve cheated on to fake-date you for a couple of months,” Akaashi responds, bored, “I don’t really like you. I never have and never will.”

That line never fails to make Akaashi feel a bit guilty. Was it well deserved? Yes. But the thought of someone saying that to Akaashi, or any of his friends (especially the sweet ones), never fails to make the man feel uneasy.

“I-I,” the man stammers, a hurt look on his face.

Akaashi got up; the two were at a restaurant, “I don’t know why you’re so surprised when most of your relationships are a lie.”

“I actually... really liked you,” the man pauses, his jaw clenches before talking again, “you never felt anything, Keiji?”

Akaashi shook his head, “How could I when I know how much of an asshole you are to others? Explain to me how I could ever actually like you when all you do is cheat. I know you stopped recently because of me, emphasize on “recently.” Also, don’t call me Keiji.”

“Keiji! But I stopped-“

“Last month... you stopped last month. Our “relationship” had been going on for three...” Akaashi pauses, ”I have to go now, hope this makes you rethink your life choices,” Akaashi turns around to go but faces him again one last time, “and don’t call me Keiji.”

And with that, he was out the door.

Akaashi walks down the street in silence, not even a minute later, he hears his name being called.

“’Kaashi! Wait up!”

“Akaashi!”

_‘Shit, I left them behind.’_

Kuroo, Yamaguchi, and Tsukishima had decided to come with him. Usually, none of Akaashi’s close friends even knew the ex’s name, much less what they looked like, but the three of them tagged along with him this time since Akaashi has a class with Yamaguchi in twenty minutes and Kuroo is going in that direction. Tsukishima came with them because he needed to buy groceries (mostly, he just wanted to go because of Yamaguchi, but he won’t admit that).

“Sorry, I forgot I didn’t come alone,” Akaashi apologizes.

“It’s cool, but geez, Akaashi! You’ve gotten meaner! I haven’t seen you in action since... last year? You were so much more polite back then!” Kuroo teases as the four boys start making their way to class, “anyways, got any goodies?”

A tradition, if you could even call it that, in Akaashi’s friend group is to split Akaashi’s gifts from his latest job. They get together the weekend after the breakup and play Uno for the gifts Akaashi’s latest “victim” had given Akaashi. Akaashi never felt comfortable keeping anything he was gifted from these fake relationships; he only ever kept them if it was a custom made thing.

“Not this time; he was kind of stingy,” Akaashi replies.

“I still have that bracelet from your third guy,” Yamaguchi says as he stretches his arm out so that the others can see his bracelet. 

“And I have that tv from guy number nine,” Kuroo adds on before he turns to look at Tsukishima, “Tsukishima, do you still have anything- oh sorry! I forgot you’ve never won!”

“That’s because you guys team up on me,” Tsukishima responds with a glare, “if it weren’t for the fact that you all work together to plus four me, I would’ve won every game. You should be glad I haven’t because then you wouldn’t have all the things you have, Kuroo.”

“Wow, are you implying that I’m broke?”

“Yes, exactly.”

“You seriously lack Oxytocin,” Kuroo grumbles under his breath. 

****Oxytocin is a chemical in your brain that promotes empathy.**

Tsukishima rolls his eyes as Yamaguchi laughs at Tuskishima’s reaction.

“Anyways! Hey, ‘Kaashi!” Kuroo exclaims, causing Akaashi to jump. Kuroo throws an arm over his shoulders.

“Oh god, you know, I was trying to stay as quiet as possible so you wouldn’t talk to me.”

“Damn chill, I just wanted to say that one of my best friends is single and willing to meet you sooo...” Kuroo trails off to let the information settle, “come on a double date with Kenma and me.”

“No.”

“What!? You didn’t even have time to consider it!”

“I know,” Akaashi replies, “I’m not good at real relationships, you know this. And I don’t see the need for me to get into a relationship at the moment.”

“You always try to set him up with someone, and he always says no, Kuroo. Just leave Akaashi alone,” Tsukishima comments.   


Kuroo faces Tsukishima, “Tsukishima... who asked?” he says before turning back to Akaashi, ”Listen, Akaashi, he’s a cool guy, and I think you two might be meant to be,” Kuroo whines, “you’ve never had a _real_ boyfriend!”

Akaashi frowns, “I have though, did you forget my second year of high school?”

Kuroo shivers, ”no, I have not.”

Akaashi makes a face that says ”so you see my point?”, ”does he know what I do?”

“I don’t even think you could've called him a boyfriend thougg,” Kuroo mumbles before he shakes his head, “I’ve known you for too long for me to share your secrets, even to one of my best friends.”

“That’s kind, Kuroo,” Akaashi says with a deadpan expression.

“I can read sarcasm, asshole.”

“Akaashi, you’re missing out,” Yamaguchi groans, “if I had your beauty, I wouldn’t know how to act.”

Tsukishima’s expression softens and opens his mouth to say something, probably comforting, before closing it and frowning, “what’s that supposed to mean?”

“Not in any way!” Yamaguchi exclaims guiltily, “I mean it in an if-I-was-single-and-in-Akaashi’s-shoes kind of way.”

Tsukishima hums, “yeah, right.”

“Tsukki!”

“I’m glad you finally opened your eyes, Yamaguchi,” Kuroo says with a laugh that earns him a glare from Tsukishima, “you’re too good for him!”

“Nooooo, you’re making it worse, Kuroo!” Yamaguchi laughs as he hugs Tsukishima’s torso, making the blonde blush.

“Ah, young love!” Kuroo sighs dramatically.   
  
Tsukishima clicks his tongue, ”you’re not much older than us.”  
  


”But I’m older, am I not?”  


Tsukishima decides not to respond to that.

After a few seconds, the couples gets lost in their own conversation, which leaves Kuroo with Akaashi.

“No, but seriously, this guy thinks you’re good looking, I think he’s down to meet you whenever so... if you want me to set you guys up some time, could be next week, next month, I dunno, I’m sure he’d be down,” Kuroo suddenly says, before adding, “He’s been having a dry spell recently so he’ll probably still be single.”

“And you want _me_ to break it?” Akaashi asks with a frown.

“He doesn’t just want you for that, Akaashi. Trust me; he’s a good guy. I would never be friends with an asshole,” Kuroo pauses, “well, ignoring the fact that I’m friends with Tsukishima and Oikawa, none of my friends are assholes. Plus, I know what kind of guy you want!”

“Oh do you?” Akaashi questions.

Kuroo nods, “trust me!”

“You make it hard,” Akaashi huffs out a breath of air, before looking at Kuroo, “don’t make a joke.”

Kuroo laughs, “the fact that you thought of it means that I’ve become an influence!”

“And once again, it’s not a good one,” Tsukishima remarks.

“Dude, Tsukishima, hop off my dick, man.”

•••

“Kenma! We’re home!”

“You don’t live here, Kuroo,” Akaashi reminds him, “I didn’t know you weren’t going to be busy tonight, Kenma.”

Kenma pauses the game he was playing to help Akaashi with the groceries but Kuroo is already sitting on the couch and pulling him down with him.

“I was going to stream tonight but decided not to last minute,” Kenma explains as he tries to get out of Kuroo’s grip.

“Don’t worry about the groceries,” Akaashi says with a soft smile.

Kenma blushes as Kuroo begins to talk about how much he missed him and about his day. Akaashi’s smile is still on his face as he puts away the groceries. Although relationships aren’t something he usually perceives as something positive, he can’t help but feel happy for his two best friends, no matter how disgustingly sweet they can be. The day they break up is the day Akaashi completely stops believing in anything associated to love.

“... and then Tsukishima called me broke! Do you think it’s time I get a job?”

“I’ve told you before, Kuro, I think it’d be a good idea, but it’s not something you necessarily _have_ to do,” Kenma responds, the noises of clicks and clacks let Akaashi know that Kenma went back to playing, “you know because your dad is paying most of your expenses and all that.”

Kuroo goes silent, “Akaashi! Does your job have any openings?”

“Which one?” Akaashi responds with a playful tone in his voice.

“Obviously, your everyday, ordinary, college student job, Akaashi, ” Kuroo replies, “do you need help putting up the groceries by the way?”

“Nah, I’m almost done,” Akaashi closes the fridge door and starts putting up the cereal, “also, even if I did have an opening, I don’t think working at a bookstore is for you.”

“Fine! Then does the coffee shop have any openings?”

“It’s the same thing as working at the bookstore; we switch every once in a while.”

“I’m a hardworking person, I can do it,” Kuroo says with pride in his voice.

“You see, I would totally get you a job there, but Oikawa works there, and so do Daichi, Hinata, Kageyama, and Tendou. I don’t think it’d be a good mix,” Akaashi explains.

“All my friends in one place, you’re living my dream life with your jobs,” Kuroo groans. Akaashi still can’t see Kuroo and Kenma, but judging by the muttering that comes from Kuroo, Kenma had probably glared at him for that.

“Akaashi! Get me a job!”

“No, I don’t want to be held responsible.”

“Fine, Kenma, how about your job? Any open slots?”

“It’s YouTube; there’s plenty of open slots.”

“What would I even make videos about?” Kuroo groans, “never mind, that’s too much work.”

“I thought you said you were a hardworking person, Kuroo,” Akaashi says as he walks into the living room.

“Yeah, but one thing is shelving books and carrying boxes or whatever you nerds do, and another thing is coming up with a whole new concept that doesn’t bore the masses to death.”

”So dramatic.”

“You’re good at chemistry, maybe you can make educational videos,” Kenma suggests.

“Who the fuck watches educational videos on a platform with so many other videos to choose from?” Kuroo questions, “no one, that’s who.”

“Struggling students.”

“Yeah, but it’s boring for most people! Who wants to go home and watch school shit after going to school?”

“Make it fun, that’ll put you apart from the rest,” Akaashi suggests as he sits crisscrossed on the sofa beside the couch the couple is sitting on.

Kuroo hums in thought, “I dunno.. how do you upload videos when you have zero subscribers and not feel dumb?”

“I could shout you out.”

“I don’t want to get views because of my boyfriend!” Kuroo complains, “that’s cheating, isn’t it?”

“In a way,” Kenma responds.

“What do you think, Akaashi?” Kuroo asks, turning to look at Akaashi. The latter is on his phone, typing away, “oooo, who are you talking to?”

Akaashi sighs, “a customer.”

“Do you know the name of the unlucky fucker you’re going to date, or are you making the deal right now?” Kuroo questions, “tell us his name! show us a picture of the guy!”

Akaashi stops typing to look up, “You know I’m not doing that.”

“C’mon! This will be guy number 16! Why do you still have those rules?”

“Because knowing how you are, the others might find out and I don’t want any of you to see this person on the street and blow my cover,” Akaashi explains, “I have to call the customer, I’ll be back.”

“Good luck,” Kenma mutters.

Akaashi walks to his room and calls the number that had texted him as soon as the door is closed behind him.

* * *

unknown

* * *

Hello is this Akaashi   
Keiji?

Yes, who’s asking?

A friend of mine told me   
you can get revenge on   
my ex for me?

Yes, did they tell you what  
I do exactly?

Yes, can I call you to   
tell you the details?

Of course, I’ll call you  
in a bit.

Alright, thank you!

* * *

“Hello?”

“This is Akaashi speaking.”

“I’m Aoki nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” Akaashi responds, “so, could you tell me about your ex?”

Aoki clears his throat, “um yes, right... his name Bokuto Kōtarō. He cheated on me with his best friend, and I’m positive he may have also cheated on me with said best friend’s boyfriend.”

Akaashi hums, “but you’re not sure?”

“Oh, I _know_ he cheated on me with his best friend, I don’t know about his best friend’s boyfriend, but the three were weirdly close.”

Akaashi writes this down, “I see, could you send me his socials later? Tell me more.”

“He’s a loud asshole that wants everyone’s attention,” Aoki huffs, “he’s too much, I don’t even know how to describe him.”

“I see,” Akaashi is also not too fond of loud, annoying people. The only reason why he has friends that are like that is because they grew on him.

“He’s a drama queen and always wanted to be with his friends; he never had time for me and was self-centered. I wasted a year of my life with him.”

“When did you two break up?”

“Five months ago; I was hurt by it all, but now that my head is clear, I’m just mad by it all.”

“I understand... so, let’s talk payment and how this will work out...”

•••

Akaashi is used to it by now. Most of the guys he ends up having to deal with are hot; this guy was no exception. He didn’t have any socials, which made Akaashi kind of confused. A fuckboy usually had socials, that’s how they get around, although it does make sense considering the fact that Bokuto cheated on Aoki with his best friend instead of a random person. Aoki sent him pictures of Bokuto once they hung up, and Akaashi had the weird feeling that he had seen this man before. Bokuto has golden eyes, and his hair is black and white, he plays volleyball, and, In Akaashi’s humble opinion, he has a very nice body. A knock at the door startles Akaashi.

“It’s Kuroo.”

“Come in.”

Kuroo opens the door softly and slides in; his face screams mischief which makes Akaashi want to kick him out, he tells him so.

“Mean!” Kuroo exclaims before flopping on Akaashi’s bed, “so... what’s his Instagram.”

“He doesn’t have one, and even if he did, I wouldn’t tell you.”

“Huh? What a weirdo,” Kuroo mutters, closing his eyes.

“You don’t have one either,” Akaashi points out.

Kuroo manages to shrug, “I have a bet with one of my friends. The first one to get any form of social media has to give the other two hundred dollars a month for four years.”

Akaashi breaths out a laugh, a small smile spreads across his face, “you guys are weird.”

“Nah, we’re just too cool,” Kuroo replies with a grin, his eyes are still close, “Kenma fell asleep, and I want to sleep too, but I don’t know where to put my contacts, do you have an extra contacts case lying around? Oh, and solution?”

“Open your eyes, if you fall asleep it’s over for your eyes,” Akaashi scolds before getting up to give Kuroo a new case and his bottle of solution.

“Thanks, mom,” Kuroo sighs as he opens his eyes, “so what’s the new guy looking like?”

“He’s ok,” Akaashi responds, his back is facing Kuroo which Akaashi is thankful for because this means Kuroo can’t see his blush.

“Ok? That means he’s hot! please let me look at him, Akaashi!”

“Since when does “ok” mean hot?” Akaashi questions as he turns back around with a contacts case and the solution in hand.

“Because if you don’t think he is you just outright say,” Kuroo’s face drops and Akaashi knows that Kuroo is going to make an awful impression of him, Kuroo’s face looks bored, “” he’s not attractive,” but!” The way he switches from a monotone voice to his usual voice gives Akaashi a headache, “when the guy is attractive, you don’t completely dismiss him.”

Akaashi looks at him, incredulously, “I do?”

Kuroo nods, “yep!”

“Agreed.”

The two jump at the sound of Kenma’s voice and look at Kenma, who is now standing at the door.

“I thought you were sleeping; you scared the shit out of me!” Kuroo cries out.

Kenma shakes his head with a faint smile gracing his lips, “you should probably take out your contacts before you forget, Kuro.”

Kuroo nods as he gets up, “well, thank you so much, Akaashi. I won’t stop bothering you about this until you show me. Good night!”

Akaashi says good night to his friends, closes his door and sighs before flopping onto his bed and opening his phone.

“Bokuto Koutarou...” Akaashi mumbles, his eyebrows are furrowed as he looks at the picture of said man, he can’t help but feel curious about him. The strange feeling of having seen the man before doesn’t leave Akaashi as he drifts off to sleep with the picture on his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Hope you enjoyed this chapter, I decided to post it because the first one was an introduction and I just felt like I had to post the second one soon.


	3. Sunflower - Harry Styles + Lust - Lil Skies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akaashi meets his next “victim”.

“Happy fifteenth!” Oikawa exclaims when Akaashi walks into the bookstore.

“You make it sound like I just turned fifteen,” Akaashi mutters with a small smile.

“You’re in a good mood, was he hot? Did you guys have breakup sex or something?” Oikawa interrogates.

“He wasn’t; we didn’t. I’m just finally well-rested, I guess,” Akaashi responds once he’s behind the desk with Oikawa.

“You know, I’m the reason he started that job!” Hinata exclaims out of nowhere, making Oikawa and Akaashi jump.

“We need to put a bell on you,” Oikawa whines, “you scared me!”

“Sorry!” Hinata apologizes, looking not at all sorry, “so! How’d it go?”

Akaashi shrugs, “the same way it always does.”

“You seem in a good mood, though,” Hinata comments.

“We just talked about this, maybe if you got here earlier...” Oikawa drifts off, his tone sounds accusing.

“Oi! I was here! I was helping Kageyama at the cafe.”

“Helping him in what way?” Oikawa teases.

“Alright! Too early for this!” Akaashi practically shouts before grabbing some books that were left at the register, “I’m going to shelf these, I’ll be back.”

Hinata and Oikawa’s chattering gets farther away as Akaashi walks to the back of the store where the animal books are. The first book was a book on animal wings; a dove was on the cover along with a butterfly, causing Akaashi to raise an eyebrow at the unlikely pair. Suddenly, the distinct sound of someone looking through books could be heard from the back row against the wall, making Akaashi stop in his tracks; he was three rows away from that specific row.

 _‘There shouldn’t be anyone in here but us, Kageyama, and Daichi,’_ Akaashi frantically thinks, _‘should I run back quietly? What the fuck do I do? Kageyama and Daichi are at the coffee shop, but think logically, Akaashi. Maybe it’s Iwaizumi... yeah... that’s more likely than an intruder or something.’_

“Iwaizumi?” Akaashi calls out. Suddenly the shuffling stops.

_‘Not Iwaizumi... unless he’s messing with me.’_

“Stop messing with me, Iwaizumi,” Akaashi adds before walking towards the back row.

When he turns the corner, he’s met with golden eyes. It’s not Iwaizumi. It’s not Iwaizumi at all. The man has golden eyes, his hair is black and white, but unlike the picture Akaashi saw, his hair is down, all in his face as he tries to pick up some books he dropped. Akaashi feels his eyes widen significantly.

“I- uh,” Akaashi stammers.

The man stares back in silence, eyes wide, “sorry, did I scare you?”

_‘YES, WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE? WE JUST OPENED! NOT JUST THAT BUT WHY YOU SPECIFICALLY?’_

“Uh... yeah, we opened like two minutes ago?”

“Oh, sorry! Oikawa let me in, I was here a bit early,” Bokuto explains, he gets closer to Akaashi and stretches out his hand, “I’m Bokuto,” he grins.

“Akaashi,” Akaashi replies while shaking Bokuto’s hand, his eyes are still wide.

“Did I scare you badly? I’m sorry, I really didn’t mean to, I was looking for a book on great horned owls, but I couldn’t find anything that focused on just great horned owls which is ridiculous because they’re the best owl,” Bokuto rambles, “I feel awful for scaring you, I thought you were going to pass out.”

“I’m fine, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi says, finally calming down, “I just really didn’t expect anyone to be here.”

“You don’t have to call me Bokuto-san, Bokuto is fine,” Bokuto says before going back to searching for books, “it makes me feel like my dad.”

“Oh,” Akaashi doesn’t know how to respond to that, “sorry?”

“Don’t apologize! You’re too polite!”

Akaashi nods, “ok..” he was off his game. He had just been caught so off guard; he didn’t know how to get this guy to be into him after all this.

_‘I need to focus, or else it’s over.’_

“Um... hey, I hope I don’t come off as a complete fuckboy or anything, but,” Bokuto pauses, Akaashi didn’t notice when he had started to look down but he immediately looks up to make eye contact with Bokuto. Bokuto looks nervous and avoids his gaze, “you’re like... the most attractive guy I’ve ever seen. Can I have your number?”

Akaashi blinks, “Uh... sure.”

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to! Don’t do it because you don’t want it to be awkward!” Bokuto frantically exclaims, “don’t feel pressured!”

“Trust me, I want to,” Akaashi says with a small smile, internally patting himself on the back for getting his head in the game as he walks closer to Bokuto. He gets a marker from his jacket pocket, grabs Bokuto’s hand, and writes his number on it.

Bokuto’s eyes widen, he looks at Akaashi as if he had just told him the meaning of life, “you’re so cool.”

Akaashi blushes, his mask of fake confidence falls and breaks on the floor, ”uh, thank you... I’ll leave you to it.”

“Alright... I’ll text you later, Akaashi!”

Akaashi gives him a small smile, “can’t wait.”

Akaashi turns around, and as soon as he’s out of sight, he frowns, _‘I blushed, I couldn’t concentrate on what I was going to say, how did he do that? I wasn’t on my game. Why’d he compliment me on something I simply did? ... I need to make his list.’_

When Akaashi reaches the front desk, Oikawa raises an eyebrow when he sees Akaashi, who immediately says he has to go to the bathroom. Once Akaashi is in the bathroom, he locks the door before pulling out his phone and opening his notes app.

**  
Reasons to dislike B.K.**

  * Made me flustered
  * Kind of loud
  * The first guy that I didn’t have to seek out, he came to me (change of pattern)
  * Gets impressed easily
  * Worried too much about me... Too kind(?)



Akaashi groans and hits his forehead with his phone when he realizes that none of the things he had just written were incriminating. As a matter of fact, almost all of them seemed like good qualities. He has the feeling that Bokuto is going to be different from all the guys he’s had to deal with before. Bokuto didn’t use a pickup line on him, and he didn’t just compliment his appearance. Not just that but he actually seemed to worry about Akaashi after he scared him, Bokuto was loud but not obnoxiously so.

_‘I’m overthinking again. He’s an asshole. Right now, all the things on my list seem like positives or not that big of a deal but give it two weeks, and he’ll change drastically. They all start differently but in the end, these guys are all the same.’_

•••

“Who’s texting you at this time?” Kuroo questions as he walks into the living room with a glass of apple juice.

“What are you still doing in our apartment?” Akaashi questions back as he grabs his phone that’s on the arm of the sofa he has been sitting on for the past hour. Akaashi had been typing out an essay for one of his classes and for the first time today, his mind had been completely off Bokuto. 

That is until now.

“Geez, you woke up in such a good mood! What happened? You made us coffee and everything, you good?” Kuroo asks as he sits on the couch next to Akaashi; his tone is a teasing one with a hint of concern.

Akaashi stares at his laptop with a frown, not looking up to meet Kuroo’s look of concern. “Nothing is wrong, I met my new, fake, boyfriend today and he’s just kind of different from what I’m used to, that’s all,” Akaashi responds nonchalantly.

“Oh...”

_‘He knows what I mean.’_

Although Akaashi has been friends with Kuroo and Kenma since high school, he still can't seem to get used to the way the two can see right through him; Kuroo is too good at reading people and Kenma is even better.

What a pair.

“What kind of guy do you think he’ll be?” Kuroo asks, Akaashi’s answer seems to have calmed Kuroo’s concern a bit because he no longer sounds as concerned as he was before, he has even gone back to looking for something to watch on their tv, but Akaashi can tell he’s trying to subtly shift the conversation.

“I think he’ll be the type that needs everyone’s eyes on him all the time, you know?” Akaashi pauses, “he wants to be the center of attention because he’s lonely and wants many people to like him romantically to feel valid.”

Kuroo whistles, “geez, and you met this guy once?”

“Yeah,” Akaashi responds, he debates in his head whether he should share this or not with Kuroo before he decides to do so. Kuroo rarely lies, Kuroo wouldn’t tell anyone. Akaashi clears his throat before going back to his essay, “Kuroo... he cheated on my client with his best friend.”

Kuroo’s eyebrows shoot up and he laughs in shock, “Fuck! Your client’s best friend or his best friend?”

“His best friend.”

“Damn!” Kuroo laughs in disbelief, “you gonna try to meet him?”

Akaashi shrugs, “if I can I will, I want to see how bad this guy can get.”

“You sound evil, Akaashi! Is there a reason you’re telling me all this?”

Akaashi shrugs once again before shutting his laptop, there was no way he’d be able to go back to his essay now, “I dunno, I thought you would’ve liked to know.”

“Oh trust me, I do. It’s just... you never gossip about your jobs-“

“I’m not gossiping,” Akaashi defends.

“... rightttt. Where’d you meet him?”

“The coffee shop next to the park, my client told me he goes there often,” Akaashi lies.

_‘if Kuroo finds out I met him at the bookstore then he will for sure ask all of my co-workers if they saw me talking to a guy. Oikawa would probably describe him and Kuroo would definitely track him down, then he’d find out his name and tell Oikawa, Yamaguchi, and- shit, loud mouth Hinata. Then, Hinata would be talking to Kageyama loudly about it at the cafe, and Bokuto will overhear and ask them why they were talking about him. Hinata would get intimidated and immediately spill. I may get beaten up and on top of that, I’d have to give Aoki his money back for not succeeding. I cant imagine how embarrassing that must be, I’ve never failed at this job before-‘_

”Akaashi, are you good?”

“Huh?”

“I asked you if he was easy to track down?”

“Oh,” Akaashi pauses, “I guess?”

“Hm, I’m not busy this week, I might fuck around and look for him,” Kuroo says with a smirk.

“You should use that free time to search for a job.”

“You sound like Tsukishima,” Kuroo groans.

Akaashi laughs before opening his phone

* * *

unknown

* * *

Sorry I’m texting you this late!   
I had volleyball practice! ε-(´∀｀; )

Don’t worry about it, Bokuto-san

You don’t have to call me   
that Akaashi!!!!!

* * *

Akaashi blushes as he remembers how awkward he had been when Bokuto first told him this.

“Did he ask you for a dick pic?” Kuroo asks curiously.

“If he did I wouldn’t be blushing, I’m not twelve,” Akaashi responds as he types out a response.

“Uhh... I sure _hope_ a twelve-year-old isn’t getting asked to send dick pics.”

Akaashi rolls his eyes, “you know what I mean.”   
  


* * *

Owl Guy

* * *

Sorry I’m texting you this late!   
I had volleyball practice! ε-(´∀｀; )

Don’t worry about it, Bokuto-san

You don’t have to call me   
that Akaashi!!!!!

Alright, Bokuto it is then

Nice!

Progress! o(^-^)o

Sooooo how long have   
you been working at the   
bookstore for? (^-^ ?)

* * *

•••

Guys that pretend to be nice when you first meet them piss Akaashi off. Almost nothing has that effect on Akaashi but those types of guys are on the short list of things that do. Surprisingly, Akaashi has only had four guys like that. The first time Akaashi had a guy like this he thought he had the wrong person. He hoped he did.

His name was Haruki and he was very nice at the beginning. He would take off his jacket for Akaashi when it got cold, he complimented his beauty every chance he got and he opened the car door for Akaashi.

_‘He’s not at all what I thought he’d be like.’_

Akaashi never fell for him but the thought of having to break his heart eventually caused him to feel dread. When Haruki finally asked him to be his boyfriend, Akaashi accepted, of course. That time, his heart had been in his stomach instead of staying put like it usually did. Akaashi’s guilt had wrapped around Akaashi’s heart like vines, keeping it in his stomach every time he was around Haruki.

_‘Maybe people do change.’_

Three weeks into their relationship, things did, in fact, change rapidly. Haruki and he got into fights a lot and soon he was everything and more than what Akaashi had expected.

But he continued.

Akaashi’s breakup speech was something he honestly thought would be worth publishing. Haruki was hurt. He cried, he begged for him to stay and Akaashi didn’t even blink.

“People who deceive others in order to get into a relationship and manipulate them later don’t deserve any form of sympathy,” Akaashi remembers telling Kenma that night.

When he got a case similar to the Haruki one, he almost didn’t want to take it. The new Haruki (the name creatively given by Kuroo) was louder, an open book... exactly what Bokuto seems to be. It took him a week into the relationship.

Akaashi was pissed, the fact that someone so open could be so deceiving hurt his head. The guilt Akaashi had felt was gone and this relationship was shorter than the one he had with Haruki.

“This sounds naive but I really thought he had changed,” Akaashi mumbled, “I thought I’d have to break up with him because I couldn’t lead him on anymore. I thought... I thought he no longer was what my client said he was.”

Kuroo rubbed his back as Akaashi leaned on Kenma’s shoulder.

”Well... I guess it's like they say; seasons change but people don’t, Akaashi.”

Guys that pretend to be nice when you first meet them piss Akaashi off. They piss Akaashi off because they make Akaashi lose the already small faith he has in humanity, and that’s something Akaashi doesn’t think he’ll ever get used to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gwahhh!!!! You guys are so nice in the comments I don’t know how to respond. Thank you all so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!!! If you liked it, stick around, there’s a lot more to come


	4. Can I Call You Tonight? - Dayglow + Salad Days - Mac DeMarco

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Akaashi makes a move on Bokuto and then gets really sad about his current situation

“Dude, not to scare you but that guy has been staring at you for like the past twenty minutes,” Tendou whispers to Akaashi.

Akaashi looks up to see Bokuto behind one of the bookshelves closest to the desk. This time his hair is up and he seems to be looking up at the desk every once in a while; Akaashi had noticed him earlier but he didn’t feel the need to go up to him. Bokuto has been coming in for about a week now and, although they text every once in a while, Bokuto never goes up to Akaashi. Akaashi doesn’t want it to feel too forced, so he never talks to Bokuto.

“Do you need me to go get Daichi or are you going to make a move?” Tendou asks, “he’s been coming in since last week and never buys anything.”

“I know him,” Akaashi responds nonchalantly as he continues to organize the books that were left in the front.

“Is that so?” Tendou asks with a smirk, “he’s ripped, look at his biceps!”

_‘Trust me, I know.’_

“You have a boyfriend.”

”Oooo! Jealous! Scary!” Tendou whisper shouts.

“Whatever, I’m going to ask him if he needs help,” Akaashi mutters, he really needs more coffee.

“I think he may need help but not the kind a bookkeeper can help him with,” Tendou winks before he makes an obscene motion with his hands under the desk.

Akaashi scrunches his nose as he walks towards Bokuto.

“Can I help you?” Akaashi asks with a small smile.

_‘This man does not know how much I dislike him already.’_

Bokuto jumps, causing Akaashi’s eyes to widen ever so slightly before going back to normal.

“Oh shit, is this payback for Tuesday?” Bokuto jokes with a big grin when he realizes it’s Akaashi.

Akaashi’s breath hitches, Bokuto has what one would describe as a 100 watts smile. He resorts to shrugging, the small smile still on his face.

Bokuto’s smile softens, “sorry if I looked like I was stalking you just now, I wanted to ask you for help but didn’t know if you were busy or not!”

“Don’t worry about it, Bokuto. I wasn’t really all that busy, you can always ask me for help if you need anything,” Akaashi replies.

Bokuto’s face lights up even more, “you called me Bokuto!”

Akaashi’s face turns a very light shade of pink, “you didn’t listen to anything else I just said, did you?”

“Nope!” Bokuto exclaims, “it doesn’t matter anyway, I spent so much time standing here it’s almost time for practice so I have to go.”

_‘What the fuck?’_

“Oh, well... come by tomorrow and I’ll help you find whatever you were trying to look for.”

Bokuto smiles happily, Akaashi can't help but notice how his whole body seems to change along with his emotions. Bokuto nods and starts heading towards the door; Akaashi walks to the desk.

“I’ll text you later! See you tomorrow!” Bokuto yells at Akaashi as he walks out of the bookstore, Akaashi isn’t even that far from him; the front desk is next to the entrance.

“Alright, Bokuto,” Akaashi responds, miles softer than Bokuto’s voice just now.

Once he’s out the door, he turns to look at Tendou who has his hand on his chin, clearly deep in thought.

“He looks really fucking familiar,” Tendou mumbles under his breath.

Akaashi hums absentmindedly as he opens his notes app on his phone.

**Reasons to dislike B.K.**

  * Made me flustered
  * ~~Kind of~~ REALLY loud
  * The first guy that I didn’t have to seek out, he came to me (change of pattern)
  * Gets impressed easily
  * Worried about me about me... Too kind(?)
  * **Attentive**
  * Gets excited way too easily



•••

“Akaashi!” Bokuto exclaims when he walks into the bookstore.

Akaashi fumbles with a book he is currently checking out for a customer before muttering an apology to said customer.

Bokuto leans on the desk while he waits for Akaashi to be done.

“Are you the only person here today? Because if you are I can come back another time if you’re too busy,” Bokuto says after looking around for any other sign of life.

_‘I need to add too considerate on the list.’_

“They’re on their lunch break, I stayed behind,” Akaashi explains after he’s done with the customer, he finally fully faces Bokuto, he obviously just came back from a run or something because he’s in work out clothes and his hair is down, unlike yesterday. Some strands of hair are sticking to his forehead, Akaashi’s mouth goes dry, “I can help you now, what do you need?”

Bokuto seems to deflate like a balloon, as he begins to complain, “I swear I looked and looked but I still couldn’t find a single book on JUST great horned owls, help me look for one or tell me that you guys don’t sell any so that I can finally move on with my life.”

“I’m sure we have some, Bokuto. I’ll help you,” calling Bokuto just Bokuto instead of Bokuto-san seems to do just what Akaashi was hoping it’d do, it makes Bokuto smile again.

It also makes Bokuto look slightly flustered, “you- uh- yeah thanks.”

Akaashi types some keywords into the computer and tries to find some books in the system.

“We’re out of books on the subject,” Bokuto pouts, “but I can place an order,” Akaashi offers.

Bokuto’s eyes widen in interest, “you can do that?” Akaashi nods, “Cool! Could you please order me a book, Akaashi? It doesn’t matter which one.”

Akaashi nods, “of course, Bokuto.”

The two stay in silence as Akaashi places the order but Akaashi’s thoughts are racing, _‘should I ask him on a coffee date? He seems to like me enough already so let’s get this over with.’_

“Bokuto-“

“Hey-“

The two freeze; after a beat, Bokuto breaks the silence with a boisterous laugh. Akaashi can’t help the smile that tugs the corner of his lips, he feels his face heat up. Once Bokuto’s laughing has died down and he’s just smiling, Akaashi opens his mouth again.  
  
“You go first-“

“Continue, Bokuto-“

They stare at each other in silence for a second and this time Akaashi can’t help but giggle with Bokuto. Once he has calmed down, Bokuto points at himself then points at Akaashi and raises his index finger to his lips ( _‘this man is not just ok, what was I thinking?? He’s hot.’_ ). Akaashi nods in understanding before Bokuto opens his mouth to speak, “let me take you out on a date.”

Akaashi nods, “I was just about to ask you if you wanted to go get coffee sometime.”

Bokuto blushes, the soft yet firm tone he had used when asking Akaashi on a date was completely gone, “I- wow! Cool! Uh... I’m free literally whenever so... just pick the day.”

“What about Saturday morning?” Akaashi asks, he needs to put all his effort into this one; he’s been slacking off more than usual.

“Cool,” Bokuto says dumbly, “Uh, two days, right?” Akaashi nods, “ok... I’ll text you the time and stuff.”

“I’ll be waiting for your message,” Akaashi responds.

“Cool, cool, cool, cool, cool,” Bokuto repeats, “OkI’llSeeYouAroundBye!” Bokuto says too quickly as he spins around on his heel. He pushes the door instead of pulling it and chuckles nervously, “what a dumb fucking door, uh, I’ll see you around, Akaashi!”

“Yeah, see you in two days,” Akaashi responds, Bokuto’s face is red as he exits quickly. Once a minute or so has passed, Akaashi drops his head in his hands as he leans on the counter, his face is probably as red, if not redder than, Bokuto’s face.

** Reasons to dislike B.K. **

  * ~~Made~~ Makes me flustered
  * ~~Kind of~~ REALLY loud
  * The first guy that I didn’t have to seek out, he came to me (change of pattern)
  * Gets impressed easily
  * Worried about me... Too kind (?)
  * **Attentive**
  * Gets excited way too easily
  * Too considerate
  * His smile is way too contagious



Akaashi’s heart clenches when he starts to wonder how different Bokuto will be in a couple of weeks.

•••

Akaashi does _not_ like Bokuto. Sure, he’s more awkward and endearing than any other guy he’s met. Sure, he’s an attractive guy, and, sure, Akaashi _is_ a bit surprised he doesn’t hate him more than he would usually hate someone this loud, but Akaashi does _not_ like Bokuto.

He refuses to even like him as a friend. Akaashi despises him. They’ve been texting nonstop ever since their last face-to-face interaction. Akaashi knows so much about Bokuto, he could fill a book (although Akaashi wouldn’t admit it, Akaashi could be used as the table of contents, he remembers every detail). Bokuto plays volleyball for their university which makes Akaashi very alert, Bokuto knows three of his friends: Hinata, Kageyama, and, (although Akaashi wouldn’t really consider him a friend but he’d put him in the list anyway) Tendou’s boyfriend Ushijima. He’s always talking about his best friend, who, in Akaashi’s opinion, sounds like a dumbass. Bokuto really likes birds and can talk about owls for ages, he also gets discouraged kind of easily but Bokuto promises it was worse before.

Akaashi can’t stop thinking about him.

_‘I guess I just despise him that much.’_

Usually, Akaashi would even forget the name of the guy at some points but not with Bokuto. Akaashi still has the feeling that he has met him before.

”You gotta getcha, getcha head in the game,” Oikawa sings drunkenly before giggling, he leans back on Akaashi’s calves and looks up, “Kashiiiiii! You’re distracted! It’s your turn... you’re upside down.”

“Oh, right,” Akaashi mutters before throwing a card in the middle of the circle.

Akaashi and his friends get together every Friday to play a board game, watch a movie, catch up, and most importantly, get drunk out of their minds. Not always in that order.

“Get off of him, Shittykawa,” Iwaizumi mutters under his breath, he looks insanely concentrated.

“What? Jealous?” Oikawa asks with a teasing smirk.

“If you guys start making out, I’m out of here,” Tsukishima says bluntly.

A chorus of agreements goes through the circle. Akaashi is the only one not sitting on the floor and the literature major in him would probably find this symbolic if he wasn’t this drunk and this lost in his thoughts.

“What’s bothering you, bud?” Yamaguchi slurs as he stumbles to get up, Tsukishima helps him get up the best he can. Once he’s on his feet, he stumbles to the armchair Akaashi is sitting at and sits on the arm as he hugs Akaashi’s shoulders.

“Nothing,” Akaashi mumbles sleepily.

“Somethings definitely bothering you!” Hinata exclaims, “we’re your friends, what’s wrong?”

Akaashi shrugs, “I think I’m quitting my ex revenge thing after this one.”

“What!?” Oikawa cries out, turning around to fully look at Akaashi, he squints, “are you serious?”

Akaashi nods, “I got another one of those cases where the guy is nice at first and this guy is way too nice and I just know I’m going to end up hurt by the end of it, ” he rambles, he doesn’t usually tell his friends how he feels unless he’s drunk or he’s being interrogated, “I dunno, I just don’t want to do this again.”

“Don’t retire!” Hinata exclaims, “you’re not that old!”

“Dumbass! He’s not retiring! He’s giving up!” Kageyama says and he flicks Hinata’s forehead.

“He’s not giving up, idiots, he just doesn’t feel like doing it anymore,” Tsukishima huffs before whining, this is the closest Akaashi has seen him to a mental breakdown, “why are you guys so fucking stupid, he literally said the reason why.”

“Damnit! How am I going to get things I don’t need now?” Kuroo whines.

“Get a job,” Akaashi, Tsukishima, Kenma, and Iwaizumi say at the same time.

“If those two idiots can get a job, you can too,” Iwaizumi says, pointing at Kageyama and Hinata.

“There are no job openings!” Kuroo whines, “but back to Akaashi...” he waggles his eyebrows, “he’s nice huh?”

“Don’t get that idea in my head, he’s a cheater.”

“Aren’t all the best ones cheaters?” Oikawa sighs.

“I’ve never cheated on you,” Iwaizumi says with a frown.

“I said best ones didn’t I?”

If looks could kill, Oikawa would be six feet underground.

“Once again, if they start making out, I’m leaving,” Tsukishima comments.

Yamaguchi giggles, “I think you need a boyfriend, it’ll keep your priorities in check.”

“Yamaguchi is right,” Kenma mumbles sleepily.

“I don’t have anyone in mind,” Akaashi replies, Yamaguchi is still hugging him but he’s falling asleep and making it hard for Akaashi to sit up straight.

“I gotchuuuu!” Kuroo exclaims.

“It better not be who I think it is,” Iwaizumi says with a deadpan look.

“If it is, I’m leaving,” Tsukishima threatens again.

“Woah! If it is that’s so cool!” Hinata cries out, “he’s so cool!”

Kageyama also seems to know who it is because his eyes are wide and there’s a smile on his face when he nods.

Kenma shakes his head before throwing his head back on the couch behind him, “what’s up with the loud and stoic or quiet couple cliche in this group?”

“I’m not loud,” Yamaguchi mumbles before falling sleep.

“Yamaguchi and I are more like rays of sunshine x stoic or quiet,” Oikawa says with a smile.

“Yamaguchi yes, you... no,” Iwaizumi responds as he starts to lie on the floor.

Kageyama nods at this which causes Oikawa to pout “angrily”.

“Anyways, I think you’ll like this guy-“

“Doubt,” Tsukishima interrupts.

“Trust me!” Kuroo continues, “You two would balance each other out perfect- and he’s asleep.”

The weight of Yamaguchi somehow grounded Akaashi into reality and helped him fall asleep.

“I’m not carrying him back to the apartment,” Kenma mumbles as he closes his eyes.

“Even if he was awake, I don’t think you two would’ve even made it to your apartment,” Oikawa snickers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys are all so nice wtf Σ('◉0◉’)!!! Thank you for all the support/kind words! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thank you so much for reading!! These chapters have been pretty short so far but they’re about to get longer; I hope you stick around ヽ(；▽；)ノ


	5. Don’t Rain on Me - Joji + My Kind of Woman - Mac DeMarco

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akaashi and Bokuto go on a date and it’s not at all what Akaashi thought it would be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought I’d also point out that the songs I use as my titles are either from Akaashi’s perspective or Bokuto’s perspective or one is Bokuto’s and the other is Akaahshi’s. Or, it’s just a song that describes a situation or it’s just the vibe of it all. Music makes everything better in my opinion especially when it comes to stories. Anyways! Hope you enjoy this chapter :)

“You’re superhuman, Akaashi,” Kenma says with a yawn.

“I’m really not,” Akaashi takes a sip of his coffee.

“Don’t sell yourself short!” Hinata yells, Akaashi winces and, although the can’t see it, he knows that everyone else in the room winced as well.

“Just tell us when you’re leaving next time, yeah?” Kuroo says to him, “you worried us.”

Akaashi puts down his coffee, “sorry, I had work.”

“Make this one count if you’re really quitting, ya know? Have fun~, ”Kuroo’s voice sounds mischievous and Akaashi doesn’t have to be there to know he’s smirking.

“I won’t.”

“That’s the spirit! bye!!!” Kuroo sings his goodbye before a chorus of goodbyes is heard, further away from Kuroo. After that, Akaashi hangs up.

Akaashi’s superpower, according to his friends, is his ability to wake up at the same time no matter how little sleep he got the night before. Akaashi went home to get dressed, take a shower, and mentally prepare himself before his coffee “date” with Bokuto. Akaashi ordered a coffee and checked his phone, he had tons of missed calls from his friends.

“Sorry, am I late!?” Akaashi winces but looks up, Bokuto is speed walking towards his table.

Akaashi rubs his temples without really thinking about it, it was just his luck that today he’d be having to deal with one of the loudest people he’s ever known, “no, you’re fine, I got here too early,” Akaashi puts down his hands to check the time on his watch, “actually, never mind, you’re six minutes late.” Akaashi tenses slightly but Bokuto doesn’t seem to notice because his face is scrunched up and he’s rambling about how sorry he is and how much traffic there was.

_‘Be sweet, Akaashi. Guys like the nicer, less blunt and non-sarcastic ones without dry humor. Stop being hungover and focus.’_

“Hey, you good? You look tired and stuff, we can reschedule if you’re not feeling well,” Bokuto says; Akaashi snaps out of it, Bokuto is staring at him owlishly (haha), his eyebrows are furrowed and he’s studying Akaashi.

_‘I’m losing him.’_

“Uh... yeah, I’m good. My friends and I hung out last night and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hungover right now,” Akaashi confesses.

Bokuto purses his lips, crosses his arms and looks up at the ceiling, thinking.

 _‘His arms look way bigger than usual when he crosses them,’_ Akaashi thinks before mentally punching himself.

“I know!” Bokuto exclaims suddenly; Akaashi winces, “sorry,” Bokuto whispers, “come to my apartment, I don’t have a roommate.”

 _‘Is he... is he really trying to have sex after I told him that?’_ Akaashi is about to refuse the offer but Kuroo’s voice rings through his ears.

_“Make this one count if you’re really quitting, have fun.”_

Akaashi bites his lip, _‘he’s hot, we’ve established that. Not to mention, I’ve been really lousy with this one. I’ve only slept with one other person on the job but... this guy is one of the worst, also, stranger danger.’_

“Akaashi?”

“Sorry, I was thinking,” Akaashi responds before mentally face-palming at his response.

_‘Fuck it, if I get kidnapped, I get kidnapped; it’ll be on Kuroo.’_

“I’m down.”

Bokuto grins his 100 watts grin that makes Akaashi sick to his stomach, “cool... let’s go!”

•••

Bokuto’s apartment is more spacious than his and Kenma’s since it’s a one-bedroom apartment. It looks cozy and judging by all the fighting and racing games he has in the living room, he’s definitely a guy that hangs out with his friends a lot and Akaashi can’t really judge him on that.

Bokuto leads Akaashi to his bedroom, the first thing he does is head to the tv in front of his bed. Akaashi takes in the scene, his bedroom is full of random pop culture things, from posters of artists and movies to funko dolls. His room is grey, gold, and white, and the things kind of clash with it but Akaashi can’t help but think how Bokuto it is.

“Take off your jacket,” Bokuto tells him without even turning to look at him.

Akaashi raises an eyebrow, ‘ _Straight to it, huh?’_

“So...” Akaashi says in the most enticing tone he can muster at 10 am with a hangover, “what do you wanna do?”

Bokuto turns to look at him, he has a ps4 controller in his hand and his console is on, “well, honestly? Cuddle. But I don’t know if you like to cuddle while you sleep so I was going to watch a movie to stay awake.”

Akaashi’s mind goes blank, “sorry?”

“Oh, I guess I didn’t explain, I brought you here to rest, not hang out,” Bokuto pauses, “well, yet... you can take a nap and _then_ we can hang out.”

Akaashi is still standing at the door, confused, “and what will you be doing while I sleep?”

“I’ll watch a movie, you take the bed... if you can’t sleep with the noise I can go to the living room if you want-“

“What do _you_ want, Bokuto?” Akaashi asks.

“I said what I wanted, I want to cuddle but only if you’re ok with that, this is for you,” Bokuto responds as if he had just said the most casual thing ever.

Akaashi blushes, “I’ve...”

_‘Am I really about to tell him this? Why the fuck am I telling him this?’_

“I’ve never actually cuddled before? Unless falling asleep sitting up while your friend cradles your head counts,” Akaashi jokes awkwardly.

Bokuto turns to look at him, he looks surprised, “I- no, it doesn’t at all... Akaashi, you’re missing out!”  
  
Akaashi looks down sheepishly, he feels exposed.

“Oh, I didn’t mean it in a bad way... we can try it and if you don’t like it then we can stop.”

Akaashi’s eyes widen slightly, “Uh... yeah... ok, sure.”

Bokuto smiles as he walks over to the bed Akaashi still hasn’t even really looked at yet. Bokuto moves the covers and gets under them before waving Akaashi over. Once Akaashi is under the covers, he lies down and faces Bokuto whose already staring at him.

“Hi,” Bokuto whispers with an even bigger smile than before.

“Hi,” Akaashi whispers back with a nervous smile; Bokuto’s smile truly is contagious. For the first time in a while, he feel extremely vulnerable, it’s almost overwhelming.

“C’mere,” Bokuto mumbles, he wraps his arms around Akaashi and presses him closer to his chest.

 _‘If Tendou could see me now,’_ Akaashi thinks after noting how firm Bokuto’s arms really are, his eyes close after deciding to actually try to get some rest now that he has a chance.

“You comfortable? If you aren’t you don’t have to worry about me, it’s ok-“ Bokuto stops talking when he feels Akaashi’s breathing pattern even out.

  
•••

When Akaashi wakes up, Bokuto is sitting next to him, he has his controller in his hands and he’s staring at Akaashi.

“You look really pretty when you wake up,” Bokuto blurts out, his cheeks turn red, “Uh, I got you, pain killers, just in case you still have a headache,” Bokuto fumbles with a bottle that was on his lap, he points at a cup of water on the bedside table next to Akaashi, “oh and there’s some water! My mom really likes using teas as remedies and she says chamomile tea cures headaches. Although it sounds kinda weird, I swear they work. Are you hungry? I could order food? You seem overwhelmed, sorry, am I doing too much?”

Akaashi blinks at him a couple of times before responding, “you’re fine, Bokuto... you’re just really nice.”

Bokuto gets flustered and waves him off a bit dramatically, “I’m not! I’m a normal level of nice.”

_‘I wish this was the norm.’_

“Well, I’d like to give the remedy a shot if that’s ok with you?” Akaashi says quietly, almost shy.

Bokuto nods his head and scrambles out of bed, “yeah! Sure! I’ll be back! Take your pills!” Akaashi smiles and gives him a nod before he goes. After taking the pills, he gets up to get his phone out of his jacket, which is hanging behind Bokuto’s door, he has a couple of texts and a few missed calls. The missed calls are from his friends and the texts are also from his friends except for one, he decides to check his friends’ messages before the other one.

* * *

High School Reunion Type Beat

* * *

Hinata 

HEY, AKAASHI!!! ARE YOU SAFE?  
  
IS EVERYTHING OK?

HE’S NOT CREEPY IS HE?

Tsukishima 

Just seeing you type in all   
caps makes my head hurt.

Yamaguchi 

No, but serioudly is   
everything ok?

Kenma   
  
^

Oikawa 

(☝︎ ?• •)☝︎

Iwaizumi 

Stop making up your own  
emojis, there’s plenty to  
choose from

Hinata 

NO WIAT ITS KINDA COOL????

Iwaizumi 

Please don’t inflate his ego,   
it’s already big enough.

Kuroo 

Do you know what else   
is big enough? ;)

Oikawa 

i dunno, kenma probably   
knows though (^_-)

Kenma 

Big is an overstatement

Oikawa 

OOOOOOO

Iwaizumi 

That’s gotta hurt, Kuroo

Kuroo 

KENMA TAKE THAT BACK

Tsukishima 

How does one even come   
back from that??

Kageyama 

You don’t

Kuroo 

I’m game ending it

Tsukishima 

Good.

Iwaizumi   
  
Good.

Oikawa 

good.

Kenma 

Good. 

Good.

Yamaguchi 

Hey!!! You’re alive!! ε-(´∀｀; )

Hinata 

I THOUGHT WE LOST YOU!  
  
Kuroo 

WHAT WERE YOU DOING YOUNG MAN?

Sleeping.

Oikawa 

i think he was having s*x O0O

Kuroo 

No, Akaashi is apparently a nun and isn’t allowed to have fun :/  
  


* * *

  
Akaashi frowns at this; he listens to Bokuto hum, contemplating his next move before the petty side of his brain wins.

* * *

High School Reunion Type Beat

* * *

Kenma   
  
Good.

Good.

Yamaguchi 

Hey!!! You’re alive!! ε-(´∀｀; )

Hinata 

I THOUGHT WE LOST YOU!  
  
Kuroo 

WHAT WERE YOU DOING   
YOUNG MAN?

Sleeping.

Oikawa 

I think he was having s*x   
O0O

Kuroo 

No, Akaashi is apparently a   
nun and isn’t allowed to   
have fun :/

Really? Then why am I  
at his house right now?  


* * *

  
As soon as he sends that text, he turns off his phone, puts his phone in his jacket pocket, and then hangs up his jacket again. He gets back in bed, feeling way better than before (emotionally and physically).

“Careful, it’s hot,” Bokuto warns when he walks in. Akaashi sits up, a satisfied smile on his face.

“Oh, thank you,” Akaashi mutters as he takes the mug from Bokuto.

“No problem! Wanna order something to eat?”

“Sure, I’m good with whatever,” Akaashi replies before taking a careful sip from the mug.

 _‘Great, he’s not drugging me, that’s a few points,’_ Akaashi thinks sarcastically.

“Bet. I’ll order pizza, pick whatever you wanna watch,” Bokuto says; once he’s sat next to Akaashi, he opens an app.

“This is really good, Bokuto,” Akaashi compliments.

“Thanks! You should tell your friends about it too, I’m sure they’ll need it,” Bokuto says in a playful manner, “My mom used to not take us the doctor when we got sick with non-life-threatening illnesses because she was such a firm believer that her teas could cure it. Oh, and before you get the wrong idea, she’s not an anti-vaxxer, she just really thinks teas can help with things that aren’t too bad.”

Akaashi actually enjoys hearing Bokuto talk which is something he didn’t expect at all. He goes on about this topic until he’s done ordering the pizza. Instead of looking at Akaashi, he plays with the buttons on the controller that’s on his lap, a soft smile gracing his lips.

“... I’m pretty close with my parents. My best friend thinks I’m the biggest mama’s boy ever but I think most guys like their mom more than their dad, right!? Have you noticed that!?”

Akaashi considers his family life and every guy he’s ever met’s family dynamic, “yeah, that’s true,” Akaashi hesitates continuing but does anyway, crossing his fingers that Bokuto gets this reference because this is probably the last date Bokuto will say yes to if he doesn’t, “like a wise man once said, “none of us really know our fathers.”

Bokuto’s eyes brighten and his smile widens, “John Mulaney!”

“Yeah,” Akaashi says lamely.

“I didn’t...” Bokuto pauses, “think you were listening if I’m being honest,” Bokuto admits, his smile falters.

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

_‘Shit, I always look bored, I swear I wasn’t, I just look like this! I can't change my face, please don’t let this job fail, Bokuto-‘_

Bokuto shrugs, “people usually just tune me out.”

“I’m not an asshole, Bokuto.”

_‘If anyone here’s an asshole its supposed to be you, Bokuto.’_

Bokuto laughs, his smile makes its way back on his face, “yeah but even people that aren’t assholes do that, I just tend to ramble a lot.”

“I like hearing you talk,” Akaashi says, his breath hitches when he realizes that he voiced his opinion out loud.

Bokuto’s smile goes back to its fullest, “so... what do you wanna watch?”

  
•••

It’s not like it’s the first time Akaashi has had a good time on the job. However, it is the first time that Akaashi thought he wasn’t going to get a second date right off the bat (they still haven’t confirmed it but Akaashi has a feeling they will. Bokuto’s smile gave it away, he is an open book). Not only that but it was also the first time Akaashi didn’t lie 100% about everything. Akaashi was right, he found out that Bokuto does in fact hang out with his friends very often. He talks about his best friend and his boyfriend constantly; Akaashi still can’t bring himself to judge him, he too hangs out with his best friend and his best friend’s boyfriend more than he’d like to admit. Akaashi also found out that Bokuto is different from Haruki and “The New Haruki”. Now that Akaashi has time to think about it, Haruki and Haruki part two never complimented him the way Bokuto did. Bokuto would zone out while staring at him at times and when Akaashi asked why he was staring at him, Bokuto’s only response was, “you look pretty.”

A thing that also set him apart (a thing Akaashi dislikes) was that Bokuto thinks he’s way cooler than he actually was. Akaashi holds his chopsticks weird, he’s known this since grade school, he crosses them instead of putting one over the other. Bokuto’s reaction was one he had never received in his life, even in grade school when kids get impressed so easily.

“That’s so cool!” Bokuto had exclaimed, “I’ve never seen anyone hold their chopsticks like that! You’re so unique, Akaashi!”

Akaashi had blushed and muttered, “it's not that big of a deal I don’t think.”  
  
The memory makes Akaashi blush now as he unlocks his apartment door. When he opens the door, he looks up only to be met with three pairs of eyes staring at him.

“May I help you?” Akaashi asks.

“Bedhead, blush, wrinkled clothes...” Kuroo lists off.

Oikawa nods, “you know what that means right?”

Kuroo nods slowly before smirking, “congrats on finally letting loose, Akaashi!”

“Alright, you saw him, we’ve been here for hours and I need a shower, let’s go, Oikawa,” Iwaizumi grumbles, “sorry about that, Akaashi. Shittykawa wouldn’t leave until he saw you.”

“Since I’m older than you!” Oikawa exclaims suddenly, completely ignoring Iwaizumi, “I feel like it’s up to me to give you advice-“

“That’s where I’m cutting you off, let’s go,” Iwaizumi interrupts, pulling Oikawa out the door.

“Wait!” Oikawa cries out, he tosses a condom to Akaashi, “stay safe!”

“Bye!” Iwaizumi yells as he closes the door.

Akaashi’s blush is worse than before, “I’m not a virgin, I know what I’m doing.”

Kuroo wipes away a fake tear, “it’s just that you're finally not sticking to your rules! You’re having fun!”

_‘I suddenly just remembered why I haven’t told him I had sex with one of the exes.’_

“Who said it was fun?” Kenma mutters, coming out of his room, “are you good, Akaashi?”

Akaashi nods, “we didn’t do anything, we cuddled though.”

Kuroo’s eyes widen and Akaashi immediately regrets telling Kuroo, “cuddled!? That’s new!”

“Yeah.”

“Wait, I never understood this, did you not let them cuddle you or...?” Kenma asks.

Akaashi shrugs, “it just never happened.”

Kuroo smiles, “sooooo... how was it? Is Akaashi a cuddler?”

Akaashi’s face reddens, even more, he covers his face with his hands when he nods.

“Akaashi...” Kuroo’s tone is so serious it makes Akaashi remove his hands and look at him, ”...that’s so fucking cute.”

“I’m glad you found that out about yourself but please don’t start liking him,” Kenma says bluntly, “the people you’re hired to fake date aren’t good people, please be careful.”

Akaashi nods, Kenma’s reality check causing him to calm down, his face is less red than before, “I know.”

“We’ll cuddle you, Akaashi, you don’t need him for cuddles,” Kuroo coos.

Kenma shrugs, “it’s like hugging but laying down. I hug you plenty.”

“That’d be cute if it weren’t for the fact that “plenty” for you two is probably like... two hugs a year,” Kuroo teases, “anyways, you seem tired, Akaashi. You should go to bed.”

“and you should go home,” Akaashi replies in a deadpan voice as he turns to go to his room.

“Andddd he’s back, ladies and gentlemennnnn,” Kuroo yells after him in an announcer's voice.

Akaashi rolls his eyes as he closes his door behind him. As soon as he flops on his bed, his phone rings.

“Hello.”

“Hello, Akaashi, It’s Aoki. I just wanted to ask how things are going?”

“I just came back from our first date.”

“You work fast.”

“Yeah,” Akaashi replies monotonously, “what would you like to know?”

•••

_“He pretends to be the victim but he’s really not.”_

_“So he still talks excessively about his best friend and his boyfriend? Go figure, I’m surprised he’s not in a relationship them.”_

_“Give it a couple of weeks and he’ll become insufferable.”_

Manipulative is something Akaashi couldn’t imagine Bokuto being but that’s the point of being manipulative, no? Akaashi opens up his notes app.

**Reasons to dislike B.K.**

  * ~~Made~~ Makes me flustered
  * ~~Kind of~~ REALLY loud
  * The first guy that I didn’t have to seek out, he came to me (change of pattern)
  * Gets impressed easily
  * Worried about me... Too kind
  * **Attentive**
  * Gets excited way too easily 
  * Too considerate (wayyyy too considerate)
  * His smile is too contagious
  * lets strangers into his home (dumb)
  * Talks a lot (positive or negative?? Not sure yet.)
  * Not at all what I thought he’d be
  * **Manipulative?**



Akaashi blinks, he has never really questioned anything his client has said before. Either Bokuto was a master manipulator or he wasn’t and for some reason Akaashi couldn’t make up his mind. 

• **Manipulative.**

After that conversation, Akaashi decides not to dig further. He is going to treat it like a professional job. He isn’t going to do his own investigation, he isn’t even going to write down reasons to dislike him as he had with every other guy. Akaashi was just going to head in, make him his boyfriend, and break up with him. No questioning, no “I swear I’ve seen him before”, no more getting distracted mid-conversation and losing his game.

Bokuto is just a regular job.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, every single comment I get makes me lose my mind, you guys are all so sweet it’s unreal  
> (о´∀`о)! Thank you so much for reading and I really hope you’re enjoying the story so far :)


	6. We Fell in Love in October - Girl in Red + Shawty - Bsd.u + Boy - Victor Internet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We learn more about Akaashi’s insecurities and his experiences with relationships while Bokuto tries to be romantic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This title is from Bokuto’s point of view. I decided to point out what perspective it’s coming from since you guys haven’t read anything from Bokuto’s point of view and this is kind of a clue as to how he’s feeling at the moment.
> 
> (Third song is kind of a mixture of both :) )

* * *

Owl Guy

* * *

  
at work?

Yeah but it’s not too  
busy today

Right... (´-ω-`)

As much as I like talking   
to you about weird shows   
I’ve found I don’t want you   
to get fired!

I think I’ll be ok, Bokuto

Akaashi, I can see you typing!

Before you distract me with a   
conversation, I’m going to be   
the responsible one and tell   
you to stop texting at work!!   
ヽ(￣д￣;)ノ

Fine, fine, I’ll text you  
later.

Since when did you get so  
responsible, Bokuto?

I’m not answering that   
because you need to work   
  
(also, thanks(＾ν＾）)

okay, okay, I’ll text  
you later

(no problem)

(^-^)

  
11:06 am

Is the store still not   
as busy?

* * *

  
Akaashi quirks an eyebrow. Bokuto was the one that told him to stop texting, to begin with.  
  


* * *

Owl Guy

* * *

to you about weird shows   
I’ve found I don’t want you   
to get fired!

I think I’ll be ok, Bokuto

Akaashi, I can see you typing!

Before you distract me with a   
conversation, I’m going to be   
the responsible one and tell   
you to stop texting at work!!   
ヽ(￣д￣;)ノ

Fine, fine, I’ll text you later

Since when did you get  
so responsible, Bokuto?

I’m not answering that   
because you need to work

(also, thanks(＾ν＾) )

okay, okay, I’ll text  
you later

(no problem)

(^-^)

  
11:06 am

Is the store still not   
as busy?

Yes, is everything  
ok, Bokuto?

* * *

  
Akaashi begins to play with his fingers which causes Tendou to raise an eyebrow.

“What’re you so nervous about?”

Akaashi looks up at him, “I’m not.”

Tendou hums, “is it about a guy?”

_‘How does he know??’_

“I’m just talking to a friend.”

“interesting...” There’s a small smirk on his face as he leans on the desk, lazily, like a cat and he kind of reminds Akaashi of Kuroo which is a little annoying. Akaashi mentally curses himself for not creating a better lie. Tendou will definitely keep a close eye on him now.

* * *

Owl Guy 

* * *

I think I’ll be ok, Bokuto

Akaashi, I can see you typing!

Before you distract me with a   
conversation, I’m going to be   
the responsible one and tell   
you to stop texting at work!!   
ヽ(￣д￣;)ノ

Fine, fine, I’ll text you later

Since when did you get  
so responsible, Bokuto?

I’m not answering that   
because you need to work

(also, thanks(＾ν＾) )

okay, okay, I’ll text  
you later

(no problem)

(^-^)

  
11:06 am

Is the store still not   
as busy?

Yes, is everything  
ok, Bokuto?

Yeah!

I wanted to ask you if we   
could go eat somewhere   
during your lunch break!

* * *

  
Akaashi’s mind goes blank. Not even a full, whole week has passed since their first date, Bokuto just became the first guy to ask Akaashi out on a second date in less than seven days.

_‘Usually I’m the one who does all the work leading up to the relationship.’_

* * *

Owl Guy 

* * *

Akaashi, I can see you typing!

Before you distract me with a   
conversation, I’m going to be   
the responsible one and tell   
you to stop texting at work!!   
ヽ(￣д￣;)ノ

Fine, fine, I’ll text you later

Since when did you get  
so responsible, Bokuto?

I’m not answering that   
because you need to work

(also, thanks(＾ν＾) )

okay, okay, I’ll text  
you later

(no problem)

(^-^)

  
11:06 am

Is the store still not   
as busy?

Yes, is everything  
ok, Bokuto?

Yeah!

I wanted to ask you if we   
could go eat somewhere   
during your lunch break!

Sure, you pick where  
we’re going 

My break starts at 12

* * *

Akaashi suddenly feels nervous. He really didn’t prepare for this. This was extremely last minute and he has never been the spontaneous type.

“Oi! Akaashi are you ok!?” Hinata asks once he’s back from the coffee shop part of the store, “I brought you coffee but you seem fidgety!”

“I’m ok,” Akaashi mumbles as he takes the coffee from Hinata, “Tendou, could you... could you stay here for the break? I’ll bring you back something to eat.”

Tendou narrows his eyes, “... okayyyy..”

Akaashi is suddenly very thankful that he’s not as close to Tendou as he could be. If it had been any of his other friends, they would’ve immediately started questioning him but Tendou knew his boundaries. Although, right now, Akaashi can see the cogs in his brain turning to figure out if Akaashi is, in fact, meeting up with a friend or not.

“You usually stay behind, Akaashi! Why are you going out today?”

_‘... unfortunately, Hinata loves to know everything.’_

“I’m going to meet up with a friend.”

Hinata’s eyes widen, “Wait, Akaashi... do you have a boyfriend!?”

Akaashi physically cringes at Hinata’s voice volume, “no... we’re just friends.”  
  
“I’ve heard that one before,” Tendou mumbles.

“Akaashi! Do I know him?”

“I don’t know.”

“What’s his name?”

“I don’t know.”

Hinata’s excitement doesn’t waver, “this is so cool!”  
  
“It’s really not that big of a deal, Hinata.”

“It is for me!” Hinata cries out, “does Kenma know?”  
  
Akaashi shakes his head, “no one does.”

“You’re confiding in me!”

“I...” Akaashi pauses, Hinata’s excited face makes him feel a little guilty for being so dismissive, “... sure.”

Hinata’s eyes light up even more, “this is crazy!”

“What’s crazy?” Kageyama asks, making everyone jump. Kageyama didn’t have work today but he came to pick up Hinata so that they could eat during his lunch break. His voice caught everyone off guard.

“Hello, Kageyama,” Akaashi greets, Kageyama nods at him.

“Heyo!” Tendou says casually.

“Sup,” Kageyama looks at Hinata who is still frozen in place, “hurry up, idiot, I got a table reserved.”

“Reserved?” Akaashi asks.

“Oh you weren’t at work,” Tendou cackles, “please explains what’s happening.”

“Hinata found out that Suga and Daichi have date nights on Fridays so now we’re having more dates,” Kageyama explains.

“Oh,” Akaashi says, “that’s not bad. So your dates are on Wednesdays?”  
  
“No, they’re every lunch break,” Hinata replies.

“... why? Your break is like thirty minutes long?”

“Because we don’t have any other day so we just do them during our break,” Hinata continues, “if you add them all up, it’s basically a dinner, a movie, and a walk around town.”

“I don’t think that’s how it works,” Akaashi pauses, “Doesn’t it take away the effect of a date?”

“That’s what I said but Kageyama has a theory,” Tendou is still grinning, “go on tell him!”

“I think dates are just excuses to hang out and hold hands in public.”

Akaashi shrugs, “I guess.... yeah I can see that.”

“What!?” Tendou shouts, “dates are more than that!”

“You two are no fun!” Hinata whines.

“Shut up, I’m here am I not?” Kageyama says.

“Romance is dead,” Tendou mutters as Hinata makes his way to the door.

“I’ll see you guys later!” Hinata yells over his shoulder as he walks out with Kageyama.

“Yep,” Tendou replies, “take your time!”

Akaashi doesn’t even bother replying since the couple is already bickering over something. There are a few seconds of blissful silence before Tendou turns to look at Akaashi.

“So... do I get to meet this mystery man of yours or are you going to meet him blocks away from here?”

“You’re about to make me want to meet up with him on the other side of town.”

“So sassy, Akaashi!” Tendou exclaims, “I won’t tell Oikawa about this conversation if you let me meet him... oh! And~ I won’t tell Hinata who it is.”

Akaashi purses his lips, “deal... but you can’t tell anyone else either.”

Tendou puts two fingers together and pretends to zip his lips, “this is fun! I haven’t really bonded with you as much as the others.”

Akaashi hums, “I guess... but can we try to not talk about it too much?”

Tendou nods, “sure, sure! Yeah! Cool!”

There’s a moment of silence between the two before Tendou talks again.

“So... do I know him?”   
  


•••  
  


It’s 12:11 and Akaashi is getting impatient.

_‘I just got stood up... and so soon? I thought he was interested, did I just fail?’_

“Hey,” Tendou says in a rare comforting tone, “don’t worry, he’ll be here!”

Akaashi looks at him and nods.

_‘I hope so... Tendou has no idea how important this is.’_

Suddenly, there’s a loud bang as the door opens loudly. Tendou and Akaashi’s necks practically snap at the speed in which they turn their heads.

“Sorry I’m late, Akaashi!” Bokuto exclaims, “cooking is no joke!”

Akaashi’s eyes widen when he sees that Bokuto has a tote bag full of, what he assumes is, food.

“It’s... its ok, Bokuto... did you cook?”

Bokuto nods, clearly excited as he makes his way to where Akaashi is, “yeah! I want to have like... a picnic or something like that.”

Akaashi nods slowly, “... ok.”

“Wait, wait... I swear I know you from somewhere,” Tendou says to Bokuto.

“You know, I got that feeling too, dude!” Bokuto exclaims, he leans on the desk as Akaashi gets out from behind it. He puts a hand on Bokuto’s arm as if to say “can we please go” but Bokuto doesn’t seem to notice. The two stare at each other in silence, trying to figure out where they know each other from, while Akaashi stands awkwardly next to Bokuto. “DUDE,” Bokuto suddenly exclaims, “YOU’RE USHIJIMA’S BOYFRIEND! YOU’RE HIS LOCK SCREEN! I’M ON THE SAME TEAM AS HIM!”

Tendou’s eyes widen, “YOOO! I knew I knew you from somewhere!”

“Bokuto, we have to go, my break is about to be over,” Akaashi swallows, his anxiety getting worse as the conversation progresses.

“You can stay out later,” Tendou says.

“Oh... thanks, are you sure because you told Hina-“

“It’s cool!” Tendou replies, he’s trying to tell him something with his eyes but Akaashi doesn’t know what. Tendou stops when he realizes Akaashi doesn’t get it.

Bokuto gives Tendou a smile, clearly unaware of Tendou’s attempts to communicate with Akaashi, “thanks man, guess I’ll see you around!”  
  
“Maybe one of these days we can go on a double date,” Tendou says with a smirk; Akaashi can’t help but feel lightheaded, he can’t mix his personal life with Bokuto’s.

“Sounds cool!” Bokuto exclaims before grabbing Akaashi’s hand, “bye!”

Akaashi gives Tendou a short wave as he’s pulled by Bokuto, in return, Tendou gives him a thumbs up and points at his arms and mouths something about “HIS MUSCLES!!” Akaashi rolls his eyes before exiting the bookshop.

“So... where are we going, Bokuto?”

Bokuto grins, “oh, the park that’s nearby. I got a blanket in here... so... do you want to do this or not because we could totally just go to a restaurant.”

 _‘This is so gross,’_ Akaashi thinks as he feels his heart clench, _‘this is the most cliche thing ever, why is he so cheesy?’_

“No, it’s fine,” Akaashi replies, “lead the way.”

Bokuto’s grin doesn’t waver as they walk to the park. Bokuto is still holding his hand and even swaying their joined hands back in forth as they walk.

 _‘He’s such a sap,’_ Akaashi’s face reddens as Bokuto talks about some show he’s been watching. He can feel eyes on them and... wow is this what it’s like to be a gross couple?

“Bokuto,” Akaashi says after Bokuto is done talking about the show, “... so... this was sudden... why?”

 _‘Why cant I talk around him?’_ Akaashi thinks, _‘there goes my plans on being smoother.’_

“Why what?”

“Well... why’d you cook for me?”

Bokuto shrugs, “I don’t really know. I’m pretty ok at cooking and I was... you know, cooking and just thought “hm... I wonder if Akaashi would like this”. I remembered you once told me that you usually stay behind so I decided to come to get you.”

Akaashi nods, “how did you know I could leave?”

Bokuto hums, “I didn’t. If you weren’t able to leave then I would’ve sat with you.”

Akaashi’s head hurts. Bokuto’s ability to say/do things that Akaashi has never experienced before in a relationship (real or fake) so casually always makes Akaashi feel overwhelmed.

“You’re so... you’re really kind.”

Bokuto purses his lips at this but doesn’t say anything. The two walk in silence until they’re finally at the park. It’s the biggest park in the city and also the nicest.

“Let’s sit near the pond!” Bokuto says as he starts pulling Akaashi in said direction.

“Sounds good.”

Once Bokuto finds a spot to sit at he hands Akaashi the bag, “hold this for me.”

Akaashi nods. When he’s finally holding the tote bag, he opens it for Bokuto who takes out a blanket and Akaashi can’t help but look at it in amusement. The blanket wasn’t meant to be outdoors and in Akaashi’s opinion, it wasn’t meant to exist.  
  
“Is that... a steak, Bokuto?”

Bokuto looks up from where he’s spreading out the blanket, “yeah! It looks realistic huh?”

“I don’t think that blanket is meant to be outdoors, the fabric is too soft,” Akaashi pauses, “even if that was the case, I seriously don’t think it should be taken outside whatsoever.”  
  
“Akaashiiiii!”

Akaashi smiles mischievously, “I swear I didn’t see you use this blanket when I was over.”

Bokuto gets up and stands next to him, admiring his blanket, “it ruins my apartment vibe, I dunno, I feel like it doesn’t match.”

“Bokuto, nothing in your room is correlated.”

“Please let me have this one, Akaashi.”

  
•••

And that’s how Akaashi finds himself in the middle of a park, eating with a man that has the body of a Greek god, on a blanket that looks like a very realistic steak, at 12:00 in the afternoon. Akaashi can’t stop the small laugh that escapes him at the thought of a stranger seeing them like this.

“What?” Bokuto asks, he has a mouthful of rice and fish.

Akaashi shakes his head, “I just can’t believe this is my life.”

“What do you mean?”

“Bokuto... we’re doing the most cheesy thing a couple can do while we eat on the weirdest blanket I’ve ever seen.”

Bokuto grins, “a couple?”  
  
Akaashi can’t help but blush.

“Glad to know that’s where your mind is heading, Akaashi.”

_‘I did it.’_

They sit in silence for a couple of seconds, eating their food. Akaashi is looking at the pond thinking about his next move when he sees Bokuto scramble to take out his phone before he knows it, he takes a picture of Akaashi.

“What was that for?” Akaashi asks.

“You just look very handsome!”

“So do you though,” Akaashi replies.

“Thanks but let me compliment you, Akaashi!” Bokuto whines, “you almost always deflect my compliments... did I use deflect right?”

Akaashi smiles, his stomach does something and he’ll blame it on Bokuto’s cooking later, “yeah, you did... and... alright.”

Bokuto grins, “good, you beautiful specimen-“

“I take it back.”

“Akaashii!”

•••

“That’s so cool! Why are you so cool!?” Bokuto exclaims, they’re walking back to the bookstore, and Bokuto just found out that Akaashi used to be a volunteer at a bird sanctuary, “why didn’t you tell me about this sooner!?”

“You never asked,” Akaashi replies nonchalantly, there’s a small smile on his face, a result of Bokuto’s reaction.

“If I were you, I’d talk about it every second I got,” Bokuto confesses.

Akaashi can feel himself blush but what’s new? He’s just going to have to live with it. Akaashi opens his mouth to speak again but a tap on Bokuto’s shoulder, that causes Bokuto to stop walking, interrupts him.

“Sorry to bother you two but uh...” it’s a girl around their age. She shyly moves a strand of hair from her face and tucks it behind her ear, Akaashi does not like her already, “can I have your number? You’re really cute.”

Bokuto’s eyebrows practically shoot up, “Uh... sorry but I’m talking to somebody already.”

She frowns, “just because you’re talking to someone doesn’t mean you’re dating them.”

Bokuto shrugs, “I like to talk to one person at a time, sorry.”

Bokuto grabs Akaashi’s hand and pulls him. Akaashi doesn’t miss the way the girl’s eyes widen in realization, he can’t help but smirk.

_’I need to stop hanging out with Kuroo and Oikawa.’_

Akaashi’s eyes drift to their linked hands and he doesn’t remember when he became this comfortable with hand-holding. He takes in the sight before being hit with the realization of how out of his league Bokuto is. The girl is right, he’s cute and so much more, and somehow Akaashi was able to make Bokuto feel something... it sounds fake. Akaashi isn’t as insecure as he used to be but he’s definitely feeling it right now.

“... yeah, so I was thinking,” Bokuto says, “you told me that you used to draw as a kid so that means you like art, no?”

“You remember that?” Akaashi asks, clearly surprised.

Bokuto nods, “yep!”

“That came up like... once though,” Akaashi says, “and it wasn’t even a full conversation, it was just a comment.”

Bokuto frowns, “Why wouldn’t I remember? You’re interesting!” Akaashi feels his heart clench. “anyways, I was thinking that maybe we could go to an art museum next time.”

Akaashi nods, “if you want to.” Bokuto purses his lips before turning to look at Akaashi, “Akaashi, you always ask me what I want but what do _you_ want?”

Akaashi’s mind goes blank, _‘no one has asked me that before and I don’t think I know the answer to that question.’_

“I want to go.”

Bokuto smiles, Akaashi doesn’t have to be a psychic to know that Bokuto feels successful, “cool!” He stops walking and Akaashi is about to turn around to see who tapped Bokuto before realizing that they’re in front of the bookstore, “text me when you get home?”

Akaashi smiles, “sure.”

Akaashi can’t help but feel weird when he gets back to work. It’s not a bad weird, he just... feels weird; not like before. Judging by Tendou’s stare, he’s acting differently too.

“Someone’s got it bad for Hercules,” Tendou says teasingly.

“Hercules?” Akaashi questions.

Tendou shrugs, “I dunno, he looks really strong and reliable.”

Akaashi nods in agreement.

The store is quiet until Hinata gets back. Before that, Akaashi realizes he can’t treat Bokuto like a regular job because he isn’t one. Bokuto is kind and doesn’t seem to expect anything back from Akaashi, he also remembers small insignificant details about him and on top of that, he seems to care about Akaashi’s input. Akaashi doesn’t know what to make of it; it is all too good to be true and completely new to him.

 _‘Maybe people do change,’_ Akaashi thinks before immediately scrapping that idea, _‘thinking like that only leads to hurt, I was hired for a reason. If I convince myself that he’s not like that then I’m definitely going to end up falling for his tricks.’_

Akaashi mentally rolls his eyes at his own thoughts. Why didn’t he just stick to a normal summer job in high school?

•

•

•

•

“So... you didn’t bring me lunch did you?”

For the first time in weeks, Akaashi’s breath hitches, and it's not a caused by Bokuto.

_‘Shit, I forgot about that.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ALSO
> 
> You guys are all so kind I really don’t know how to respond to any of the comments. I just want you guys to know that these comments mean a lot and I’m very thankful that you guys are reading this story. Stick around, next chapter is.... an interesting one to say the least.
> 
> Thank you all very much for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	7. Dontmakemefallinlove - Cuco + See You Again - Tyler the Creator

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akaashi makes some realisations and meets some people very important to Bokuto.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dontmakemefallinlove: Akaashi 
> 
> See You Again: Bokuto because my boy is just pinning :(

“Yamaguchi.”

“Hm?”

“I...” Akaashi swallows his pride, “I need advice.”

Yamaguchi hums, “ok.”  
  
“I’m getting kind of impatient, Yamaguchi,” Akaashi whispers, “I’ve known this guy for like two months and a half, he’s exactly the same, and every time I think he’s going to ask me out he doesn’t.”

“Do you think he doesn’t like you?” Yamaguchi asks Akaashi.

“No, he’s an open book, he likes me a lot but I dunno,” Akaashi pauses, “he just... he treats me carefully. I think he doesn’t want to ruin it.”

Yamaguchi stops looking at the vegetables and turns to look at Akaashi instead, “Akaashi...”

_‘He’s going to say something he thinks is going to sound mean but it’s actually going to be eye-opening.’_

“Maybe he’s changed? I mean, he dated your client... seven months ago now? That’s over half a year,” Yamaguchi suggests cautiously, he’s obviously trying very hard not to hit a nerve, “people can change, you’ve just had the misfortune of meeting a lot of people that couldn’t.”

Akaashi hums thoughtfully, “alright, what if he _did_ change. That doesn’t excuse the fact that he cheated on his ex. I’m here to get revenge on the person for something he did, not something he’s currently doing right?”

Yamaguchi shrugs, “I guess but I dunno, you know me, I couldn’t do it, I’d feel bad since he’s different now you know? He recognizes his errors and is trying his best now.”

Akaashi sighs, “yeah, I do feel that way but it’s karma, no? Like... he had it coming? Honestly, I kind of hope he hasn’t changed but it doesn’t matter at this point.”

“Either way it’s going to hurt you?”

“Either way it’s going to hurt me,” Akaashi confirms, “... so what should I do?”

Yamaguchi hums, “well... that part is honestly up to you. Right now, it sounds like you’re tying to convince yourself that what you’re doing is right.”

“It’s just... I think he might actually have genuine feelings for me,” Akaashi mumbles.

“Well, it’s easy to fall in love with you, no?” Yamaguchi responds, “that’s why it hurts the people you break up with so much, it’s nothing new.”

“I...” Akaashi pauses, “I never thought of it that way... I dont know why it just never hit me that they genuinely felt something for me.”

”You’re starting to care too much for this guy and it’s making you overthink,” Yamaguchi pauses, “forgive me if I sound like Kuroo but I think you need a boyfriend, Akaashi. You know, to keep your priorities in check.”

“I guess,” Akaashi sighs, “but it’s hard, Yamaguchi. I’m so used to being the boy everyone wants, I don’t know if I’ll be able to not fake my personality to get the person to like me.”

“Have you tried?” Akaashi shakes his head, “Then you don’t know one hundred percent.”

Akaashi stares at Yamaguchi, impressed by how good his advice was, “since when did you become so wise?”

“And since when did you become so overthinking when it comes to your “victims”?”

A small smile appears on Akaashi’s face at Yamaguchi’s retort.

_‘It happened recently.’_

Yamaguchi is the friend Akaashi goes to when he doesn’t want to be read and given an ultimatum or a reason to feel dumb; he’s the friend Akaashi goes to for a new perspective on things. The two went to buy ingredients for miso soup; Kenma felt nauseous and had a fever so Akaashi and Yamaguchi decided to make him a soup that would help fight away any illness and that would taste very good.

They walk out with bags full of groceries, on their way to Akaashi’s apartment, Akaashi spots a small store that sells herbal and non-herbal teas.

“Hey, Yamaguchi, can we stop there?”

Yamaguchi turns to face the store Akaashi is pointing at, “yeah, sure! I thought you were more of a coffee person, Akaashi?”

“I am, this is for Kenma,” Akaashi explains as he pulls out his phone.

* * *

Owl Guy

* * *

  
You need to sleep,  
Bokuto

I can’tttttt (´°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥ω°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥｀)

your spikes won’t be  
as good if you’re not  
well-rested

... Fine, you win this   
time >:/

Night! (^.^)

Good night, Bokuto

(＾∇＾）

today 12:23

Good afternoon, Bokuto. I  
hope your practice game  
went well. I was wondering  
if your mother has a  
tea for nausea?  
  


* * *

“What’re you getting?” Yamaguchi asks.

“I’m not sure yet,” Akaashi responds once he’s in the store. Akaashi stares at his messages with Bokuto, waiting for his response; he furrows his eyebrows in confusion when Bokuto stops typing.

“Akaashi!”

Akaashi’s blood runs cold, _‘Not here, not with Yamaguchi. With Tendou it’s acceptable, he doesn’t know what I do. If Yamaguchi finds out it’s him then he’ll definitely judge me because he’s so nice when you meet him-‘_

“Bokuto!” Yamaguchi exclaims with a smile, “I haven’t seen you since the... ramen incident, how are you?”

_‘He fucking knows him. I’m going to kill myself what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck-‘_

“Hey, Bokuto,” Akaashi says in his usual flat voice.

Bokuto grins at Akaashi before turning to Yamaguchi, “I’m good! Is Tsuki still mad about it?”

Yamaguchi nods his head, “he’ll get over it eventually. Anyways, I didn’t know you two knew each other!”

Bokuto’s smile is still on his face, “yeah! We met at his job!”

_‘BAD WORDING.’_

“He was at the back of the bookstore two minutes after we opened, I thought it was just my co-workers and me so he ended up scaring the shit out of me, and then asked for my number,” Akaashi explains, trying his best to speak in his normal tone of voice.  
  
“Akaashi! Don’t make me look so lame in front of Yamaguchi!”

Yamaguchi’s smile looks teasing, “aren’t you smooth, Bokuto.” 

“I don’t know what it is but getting a backhanded compliment from Yamaguchi is a thousand times worse than one from Tsuki,” Bokuto says dramatically, clenching his chest. Akaashi laughs at Bokuto’s antics and nods in agreement. Bokuto has a more serious/concerned expression of his face when he turns to Akaashi, “oh, I almost forgot! are you ok, Akaashi? Are you sick? If you want to I’ll carry your bags to wherever you’re going!”

“Huh? Oh, I’m fine, the tea is for my friend,” Akaashi explains.  
  
“I’m sorry to hear,” Bokuto’s expression still seems caring though ( _‘How? He doesn’t even know him, how empathic is he?’_ ), “Mint teas are good for nausea.”

Akaashi smiles softly, “thanks.”

“No problem! I told my mom about you asking for teas every once in a while, she’s glad someone else appreciates her remedies,” Bokuto says, his expression changing from worried to happy in a matter of seconds.

“Tell her that her tea recommendations are very helpful,” Akaashi replies, his smile still on his lips, “I’ve been using them since you gave me chamomile tea and I don’t think I’m stopping any time soon.”

Bokuto seems infatuated by Akaashi ( _‘after all, he is a mama’s boy’_ ), “I will... I have to go now, I came to pick up some tea I ordered and I- well, I have it! and I have to go meet up with my teammates. I’ll text you the details for Saturday later!”

Akaashi nods, “alright, I’ll talk to you later then.”  
  
Bokuto and Akaashi hang out at _least_ once a week now. The two always go to Bokuto’s place and do random things together, whatever Bokuto and Akaashi are feeling that day. They once made candles while Mamma Mia! was played over and over in the background; Akaashi could probably recite the movie to you if he really tried. Although he hates to admit it, these weekly hang outs can be fun.

“Yeah! later,” Bokuto fumbles with the door, “it was nice seeing you, Yamaguchi! I hope Tsukishima will stop being mad at me soon so we can be reunited again!” 

Yamaguchi grins, “I hope so too, bye!”

“Bye,” Akaashi says but Bokuto is already gone.

While Akaashi looks for the mint, he can feel Yamaguchi staring at him. When Akaashi is paying for the small bin of Moroccan mint, Yamaguchi is staring at him. When Akaashi walks out of the store with him, Yamaguchi’s gaze is definitely on him.  
  
“What is it, Yamaguchi?” Akaashi asks.

“Nothing,” Yamaguchi’s teasing tone can only mean that there _is_ something going on, “You guys hang out, you didn’t fake your personality at all, and Bokuto seems to like you.”

Akaashi feels his stomach drop so fast he almost stops walking.  
  
 _Almost._

The rest of the day feels like a blur. Akaashi can’t tell you what exactly he did when they made the miso soup. Akaashi can’t tell you what time Yamaguchi left or what time Kuroo showed up. Everyone’s voice feels far away to Akaashi, almost muffled. He doesn’t know what time it is when he finally gets off the couch he’s been sitting on for the past couple of hours. Akaashi doesn’t even know the time, he just thinks it’s late.

_‘I was being myself.’_

“You good? Kenma asks him. 

”Mhm,” Akaashi responds as he walks to his room, he doesn’t turn back.

He has had a pit in his stomach ever since Yamaguchi dropped that bombshell on him. Akaashi has had that sinking feeling all day; He _thought_ he felt that same way when Bokuto called him cool, Akaashi _thought_ he felt it again when Bokuto asked him out in the awkward way he did. He _thought_ he felt it when Bokuto casually told him that he wanted to cuddle with him, he _thought_ he felt it again when Bokuto seemed to think his way of holding chopsticks was cool, when they had their picnic date, and again just last week when Bokuto told him he had the best taste in music. If Akaashi was being honest, he had lost count of how many times he _thought_ he felt that pit in his stomach. But hindsight is 20/20 and Akashi doesn’t think that those moments can compare to what he’s feeling right now. They’re too different. If Akaashi was being more honest, he doesn’t even think that what he feels around Bokuto could be described as a pit at all.  
  


What he feels right now is definitely a pit, what he felt before... Akaashi is too scared to name it.

  
•••

“Hey, hey, hey, Akaashi!”

Akaashi smiles when Bokuto opens the door, although it is an awkward one, Bokuto doesn’t seem to question it.

“Do you need any tea?”

Akaashi coming over on a Saturday isn’t something rare. Honestly, that’s usually when he goes over to Bokuto’s house and it shows in their routine.

“I’m good, I didn’t drink last night but thank you Bokuto,” Akaashi replies once he’s inside, “so what are we doing?”

Bokuto’s eyes light up, “ok so you know how I told you that my friend ordered a shit ton of pillows and blankets on accident?” Akaashi nods in reply, “well, I asked him I could keep them so that we could make a blanket fort and watch Netflix all day, I got ice cream, chips, and I’ll cook for you later,” Akaashi can feel his stomach do a gymnastics routine, “you had that essay this week and I know how much it stressed you out so... take this day to relax!”

Akaashi feels his heart and stomach do something at the same time (something he _really_ doesn’t want to name), and for a split second he thinks his body just took a screenshot. 

_’I feel like I’m going to die.’_

Akaashi resorts to a simple thank you. 

Bokuto grins, “yeah no problem! You can play music from my phone while we get this fort up, it’s already connected to the speaker.”

Akaashi nods and goes to the coffee table where Bokuto’s phone is. Bokuto had been playing music before Akaashi got here by the looks of it. Akaashi opened his phone and saw that he had been listening to See You Again by Tyler the Creator, not only that but the playlist he was listening to was titled “Kaashi”. Akaashi feels his face flush, he turns to look at Bokuto who is moving his furniture to make space for the fort.

Akaashi knows he has a fond look on his face and it makes him want to punch himself. Bokuto looks up at him, Akashi’s blush deepens and Bokuto’s face softens.

“Akaashi...”

Akaashi suddenly feels nervous, Bokuto’s voice sounded serious.

“... do you ever think about the fact that snakes don’t have arms or legs? That’s fucked up.”  
  
 _‘right,’_ Akaashi thinks as he huffs out a laugh, _‘he’s an idiot.’_

•••

“Why is she smiling like that?”

Bokuto sputters, “she’s crying!”

“No one cries like that unless they’re crying out of joy,” Akaashi replies.

“Akaashiiiii you always make fun of her acting!” Bokuto isn’t mad, he has tears in his eyes from the last scene but his eyes are wide and he’s laughing.  
  
“I’m just saying if I think I can say your lines better than you can... you’re a bad actor,” Akaashi adds.

Bokuto still has a smile on his face as he hums, “hmm... well, I will admit that the last scene could’ve used some more emotion.”

Akaashi gives him a look of “I told you so” before looking back at the tv.

There’s a couple minutes of silence, the two enjoying each other’s company as they watch the show Bokuto picked on a whim.

“Akaashi, I want you to meet my friend,” Bokuto says suddenly.

Akaashi looks away from the tv to look up at Bokuto who is lying on the floor next to him, “really?”

Bokuto nods, “he’s very important to me... but there’s something I have to tell you.”

 _‘This has to be his best friend,’_ Akaashi thinks frantically, _‘is he about to tell me that he cheated on his ex with him? If he confesses I don’t know what I’ll do, that means he’s definitely changed.’_

“You... may or may not know him? I dunno, he showed me some pictures of you- not just you in particular! Like... you, him, and his boyfriend, which is also coming, and he told me very little about you. One of them told me your name and your age but that was basically it, oh- I didn’t stalk you until I found you so don’t freak out!” Bokuto rambles, “I just don’t want you to be too shocked if you see familiar faces. They don’t know it’s you because I didn’t want them to bother you about... what we are...” Bokuto’s tone is less secure now, “um, I know it’s kind of a big step, meeting up with each other’s friends and stuff, I don’t know how close you are to them but I need you to meet them with me before we can continue. They’re both a huge part of my life and... is this too much?”

Akaashi is a little disappointed that he didn’t confess but he feels another emotion that that outshines that feeling:

Anxiety.  
  
Akaashi swallows, “I understand, I want this relationship to continue so I’ll do it.”

“Cool! Uh... he’s free tomorrow, I know it’s too soon but is tomorrow good?”

“Tomorrow is perfect.”

Bokuto smiles nervously, “thank you. I just don’t want you to feel awkward.”

”you don’t have to thank me,” Akaashi replies, “if I already know them then it won’t be too awkward, right?”

•••

_‘it has to be Oikawa,’_ is all Akaashi thinks while standing at the entrance of the restaurant, _‘he said it himself, “the best ones are always cheaters” which means he was probably being narcissistic, that’s not surprising. Shit, does Iwaizumi know he’s been sleeping with Bokuto? He probably does but Iwaizumi is the jealous type, that doesn’t make sense?? Unless Oikawa is cheating on him... no, that can’t be right, they’re both disgustingly cute together-‘_

“Can’t wait to find out which one of my friends you’re boning!”

Akaashi feels the air get knocked out of his body as if he just got sucker-punched in the stomach; he mentally sends Oikawa an apology for assuming it was him.

“Kuroo, please keep your voice down,” Kenma scolds.

Akaashi turns around slowly and is met with Bokuto’s nervous smile, Akaashi smiles back awkwardly.

“No fucking way.”

Kenma is rarely this surprised but right now, his eyes are the widest Akaashi has seen them in a while, his eyebrows are shot up and Kuroo is laughing, it’s a joyful laugh.

“Dude! No fucking way! I’ve been trying to set you two up since... I dunno forever!” Kuroo exclaims, “You’re such a sneaky bastard! You said you were going to go study at the library!”

“I didn’t want to tell you two until it was official,” Akaashi responds robotically. He had been preparing for someone that couldn’t read him as easily as Kenma and Kuroo. Hell, he had even prepared for it to be Tendou and Ushijima, anyone but Kuroo and Kenma.

Kenma raises an eyebrow, his face is back to being stoic but it’s not his usual stoic expression. Kuroo frowns, he opens his mouth but is interrupted by one of the hostesses who leads them to their table. They’re sat at a booth; Bokuto and Akaashi sit on one side while the other pair sits across from them.

“So... how’d you two meet?” Kuroo questions.

“I met him at the bookstore!” Bokuto explains enthusiastically, “The one Akaashi works at! Hey, Akaashi, how long have you known Kuroo and Kenma?”

“Too long,” Akaashi responds, he’s avoiding Kenma’s gaze by looking at Bokuto, “high school, Kenma and I are roommates.”

“Wow, you didn’t tell him anything at all about us!? I’m offended, Akaashi!” Kuroo cries out dramatically.

“Sorry,” Akaashi mumbles.

“You know, he’s the guy I was trying to set you up with this whole time? Crazy how the world works!” Kuroo says casually.

 _‘Why would he try to set me up with a cheater? Kuroo wouldn’t do that, he knows my morals... unless he’s too far gone?’_ Akaashi thinks, trying to analyze the situation.

Bokuto and Kuroo talk animatedly about something while Kenma and Akaashi are staring at each other. Akaashi has always admired Bokuto’s carefreeness and way of being able to get out of uncomfortable situations, but now he envies him.

_‘I’m in denial. I seriously got the wrong guy. He isn’t at all what Aoki said he’d be. He’s not selfish at all, he cares for others way too much, there is no way in hell he’s sleeping with his best friend, I refuse to believe that. Kuroo is too head over heels for Kenma, there’s no way it’s true. Not just that but he’s not irritating me at all- why am I not irritated yet!?’_

“Yo, Akaashi! Seriously, when were you thinking about telling us!? This is the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” Kuroo asks loudly, making Akaashi snap out of his thoughts.  
  
“When they become official, didn’t you hear him?” Kenma answers for Akaashi.

“Damn, sorry, Kenma I forgot,” Kuroo says dryly before going back to the excited tone that he’s been talking in so far, “ I was too shocked to really focus on anything!”  
  
As Kuroo bickers with Kenma, Bokuto turns to look at Akaashi, “you’re nervous,” he whispers, “are you ok?”

Akaashi nods, “I’m just not used to my friends knowing this much about my relationships... I’m very private when it comes to my love life.”

Bokuto offers his hand to Akaashi and Akaashi takes it. Bokuto gives his hand a light squeeze as he smiles, encouragingly, at Akaashi. Akaashi can’t help his smile and squeezes Bokuto’s hand back, “sorry, if it’s too much we can leave.”

”It’s not your fault,” Akaashi replies, “and it’s ok, I’m just taken aback right now. I’ll be fine.”

Bokuto gives him his 100 watts smile that blinds Akaashi; once again, Akaashi can’t help smiling back.  
  
The look Kuroo and Kenma share goes unnoticed.

“So,” Akaashi’s throat is dry, “you and Bokuto are best friends?”

Kuroo grins, “yeah! He’s my best bro, my home slice, my... Bokuto help me out.”

“Broski!”  
  
“Best bud!”

“Best friend,” Akaashi says softly.

“Akaashi keeping it nice and simple,” Kuroo says, “but yes, exactly.”

•••

Dinner goes by agonizingly slow. And if Akaashi and Bokuto held hands through the whole thing, that’s for them to know. Akaashi calmed down significantly but also felt giddier the more Bokuto rubbed the back of his hand.

When dinner is over, they say their goodbyes as if Akaashi isn’t going to see Kenma and Kuroo later tonight.

When Akaashi says goodbye to Kenma, Kenma looks at him in the eyes, his eyes let Akashi know that he knows. “We need to talk,” Kenma says quietly.

Akaashi nods slowly before walking to Bokuto.  
  
“Stay safe you crazy kids!” Kuroo calls out as he walks away with Kenma. Bokuto sputters and Akaashi notes that his face is just as red as his own.

_’Tetsurou “pain-in-the-ass” Kuroo strikes once again making my life miserable.’_

“I’m not going to ask if you liked them because I know you did,” Bokuto jokes, after Kuroo and Kenma disappear from their line of vision, “you didn’t let me pick you up so at least let me drop you off.”

Akaashi nods, “ok.”

They walk in silence for a couple of seconds, Bokuto takes Akaashi’s hand and squeezes it. The smile that spreads across Akaashi’s face isn’t seen by Bokuto but Akaashi knows that he knows.

“Is that your car?” Akaashi asks, obviously taken aback.

“Yeah! It was my grandfather’s but it was missing some parts so I fixed it up on my own,” Bokuto explains, “it’s my pride and joy.”

Akaashi is still surprised, he doesn’t know much about cars but it looks like something out of a movie.

“It’s a 1955 Ford Thunderbird convertible, you probably don’t care so I’ll stop talking about it,” Bokuto begins as he takes off the top, when he’s done, he opens the door for Akaashi. Once Akaashi is inside, he closes it and gets in the driver’s seat, “I like the top off because the weather is nice and I want to feel like I’m in the outsiders.”

 _‘“You probably don’t care so I’ll stop talking”, if only he knew how much I actually like his rambling,’_ Akaashi thinks before cringing at his own thoughts.

“If we were alive at that time, we would’ve been arrested, Bokuto,” Akaashi says bluntly.

“Christ- Akaashi!! Let me have this one!” Bokuto whines.

Akaashi smiles at this, knowing Bokuto isn’t actually upset by his comment.

Bokuto stares at Akaashi for a couple of seconds before talking again, “can I take you somewhere before dropping you off?”

_‘Kenma wants to talk and I don’t know if anything is real anymore.’_

“Sure,” Akaashi pauses, “let’s go wherever you want to go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!!! 
> 
> Your comments are all so nice, i seriously don’t know how to respond. I end up reading them all several times throughout the day and it seriously fuels me to keep writing. In other words: thank you for commenting and being sweet, I hope you stick around :)


	8. Freaking Out The Neighborhood - Mac DeMarco + Dance, Baby! - Boy Pablo + I Think - Tyler The Creator

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bokuto and Akaashi have a conversation we’ve all been waiting for and in the most sappiest way possible. Akaashi discovers some life changing facts; How will Akaashi respond?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the songs are in Akaashi’s perspective this time! Dance, Baby! is a song I debated putting in here but I think the verses describe how Akaashi feels in this story very well.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

They had been driving for a long time with soft music in the background and silence; Akaashi (surprisingly) hates it. He’s become used to Bokuto talking his ear off and it all feels unnatural. To top it all off, Bokuto looks very nervous. This, the silence, and all the thoughts in his head aren’t a good mix for Akaashi.

“Are you okay, Bokuto?”

Bokuto flinches at Akaashi’s sudden voice, “shit- uh, yeah! I’m good!”

Akaashi hums, deciding not to ask any more questions. Bokuto always tells him what’s wrong eventually, he’ll just have to wait.

_‘I need to stop overthinking, he said he’s good. I’m good. We’re good... so there’s nothing to worry about.’_

They drove for twenty more minutes before Bokuto parks the car at a seven-eleven. 

”Let’s get some ice cream or something!” Bokuto exclaims, his voice sounds nothing like before.

Bokuto is unsurprisingly a chocolate kind of guy, he gets a chocolate ice cream popsicle and Akaashi gets a vanilla one. While they’re in line to pay, Akaashi’s brain is racing and his previous insecurities, of how Bokuto is out of his league, come back to him. Bokuto is currently talking to the cashier; Akaashi doesn’t know the guy so he doesn’t try to get into their conversation.

 _‘He’s friends with everyone and anyone,’_ Akaashi thinks, _‘Loud, people persons never fail to annoy me, why doesn’t this annoy me? If anything it’s-‘_ Akaashi immediately tries to stop his thought process.

“Oh, this is Akaashi!”  
  
Akaashi jumps before saying a quiet hi and giving the man behind the counter an awkward, short wave.

“He’s cute!” The man behind the counter says; Akaashi doesn’t blush at all and his heart stays put ( _‘Right, but had it been Bokuto complimenting me...’_ Akaashi thinks in an almost bitter tone), “good to know you’re doing better, Bokuto. It’s on the house for you and cutie.”

Bokuto gives the man a quick warning look and the man just shrugs with a smirk. Bokuto shakes his head and grins at him as he gives Akaashi his popsicle, “thanks, I’ll see you around!”

Akaashi gives the man a short wave and a bow before walking out of the store, trailing behind Bokuto.

“That’s Terushima, we were friends in high school. He’s naturally flirty so I’m sorry if he made you uncomfortable,” Bokuto says as he opens his popsicle.

“I was friends with Kuroo in high school, remember?” Akaashi replies, “It’s okay.”

“He was awful in high school right?” Bokuto laughs before taking Akaashi’s hand with the one that isn’t holding his treat, “c’mon.”

Bokuto guides Akaashi to the school across the street. The side of the school faces the store, the building is big and there’s a fence surrounding the courtyard that’s behind the school. Bokuto leads Akaashi to a section of the fence that isn’t covered by vines and such. “Hold this,” he says as he hands Akaashi his popsicle.

Akaashi holds the popsicle upside down so it doesn’t drip on his hand. He can’t help jumping back a bit when Bokuto suddenly sprints to the fence and climbs it with ease.

“Bokuto, no offense but this feels very sketchy,” Akaashi mutters, “also, I can’t do that.”

Once Bokuto is on the other side, he crouches down and starts to untie a string on the fence, “don’t worry, I got ya,” Bokuto is quiet while he unties the string. He’s quick and Akaashi thinks that this must mean he comes here often. When Bokuto is done, he pulls back a part of the fence and suddenly there’s a hole big enough for someone to crawl through, “trust me on this, Akaashi. This is the best view of Tokyo you’ll ever see.”

“... Alright.”

After Akaashi goes through the fence, the two walk through the courtyard. Bokuto leads him to the backside of the fence, he jumps it and does the same procedure as before. When they’re on the other side, Akaashi realizes they are standing on top of a huge rock that sticks out from the hill the school is built on top of. Bokuto sits down but Akaashi is frozen.

“They had to put up a fence because some kids kept messing around and falling down this hill,” Bokuto explains, “they’re alive so I think it’s ok if I say damn those kids for making it so hard to get here,” he jokes, “it's worth all that trouble though, right?”

“... You’re right, this is definitely the best view,” Akaashi whispers. He can see almost all of Tokyo from where he is, the wind blows in his face softly; the weather is perfect.

“Yeah, it is,” Bokuto replies. When Akaashi looks down at him, Bokuto is staring right back, “sit with me.”

•••

“... and Tsuki has been mad at me ever since.”

Akaashi laughs as he shakes his head, “you and Kuroo need to stop tormenting him.”

“No! Tsuki loves us!” Bokuto replies, he’s lying on his back, his arms are folded under his head and there’s a smile on his face. Akaashi can’t help but envy how carefree he looks, “I never told you Kuroo’s name cause I didn’t want to overwhelm you but the fact that you didn’t even know Kuroo and I are friends surprises me. You saw me with him once.”

Akaashi had been staring at the view the whole conversation but at that moment he turns to look at Bokuto, “what?”

“Yeah! One time, I was at a store parking lot with Kuroo and you came out of the store. It was when he was having that whole gay crisis and got in that huge fight with Kenma. Anyways, he went up to you to ask how Kenma was doing and I was in the car, making a call so I couldn’t introduce myself.”

Akaashi’s eyes widen, “I knew you looked familiar, I couldn’t put my finger on it but I just had this feeling I had seen you before,” Akaashi pauses, “I could’ve sworn we made-“

“Eye contact?”

Akaashi looks at him in awe and disbelief all at once, he nods slowly, “yeah... exactly... I thought I had imagined it.”

“no, you didn’t imagine it,” Bokuto sits up, his face was close to Akaashi’s, “Akaashi...”

“Bokuto,” Akaashi murmurs, his stomach does that weird thing Akaashi hasn’t named yet.

Bokuto’s eyes flicker to Akaashi’s lips for a second before looking at Akaashi in the eyes, “Akaashi, I’ve only known you for two months and a half now but I’m convinced you’re one of the best things that have ever happened to me.”

_‘Don’t say that. I’m really not.’_

“Two months is a short time in the long run,” Akaashi says before thinking.

_‘Stop. He’s still a job. I’m not one hundred percent sure if he’s good yet so I can’t blow it.’_

“Two months may be a short time but... it’s so easy to like you,” Bokuto says, “you’re like... way out of my league and-“

“ _I’m_ way out of your league?” Akaashi interrupts, he swallows the lump in his throat, “I’m not as good as you think I am, Bokuto.”

Bokuto barks out a laugh. “Uh, yes? you are wayyyy out of my league,” Bokuto replies as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world and Akaashi is dumb for thinking otherwise, “You're incredible, Akaashi... but your opinions about yourself are very wrong,” Bokuto pauses, “Akaashi, you’re so cool! You’re sweet, I’ve seen you give your leftovers to the alley cats on your way home. You’re so beautiful, Akaashi... Inside and out.”

 _‘If you knew what I do- what I’m doing, you wouldn’t think that_.’

“You’re funny in a sarcastic kind of way and you act like you don’t care because you have that whole sort of aloof thing going on but you listen to me and you ask me what’s wrong when I’m sulking over dumb things and... you’re just... perfect.”

Akaashi can feel his vision blur and, for a second, he thinks he forgot to put on his glasses before realizing it’s his tears that are creating this effect.

“and just- Oh shit! I didn’t mean to make you cry! Are you ok?” Bokuto asks worriedly.

“I’m fine just... you think too much of me,” Akaashi mumbles as he blinks back his tears.

“Damn... and I wasn’t done either...” Bokuto mumbles to himself, he looks at his lap before looking back at Akaashi, “sorry, I didn’t mean to make you cry,” Bokuto pauses, “am I doing too much?”

Akaashi shakes his head, “you’re not... Bokuto, why do you always ask me that?”

“Ask you what?”

“Bokuto, you know what I’m talking about.”

Bokuto looks at his lap and starts to play with his fingers, “I just... like I told you, people don’t like me rambling but they also don’t like.. how extra I can be. My exes and some of my old friends used to shut me up a lot and they would always say stuff like “Bokuto! You’re doing too much!” and... I dunno... I just really don’t want to ruin this... don’t wanna overwhelm you.”

“You don’t have to worry about that with me.”

Bokuto looks up at Akaashi with bright eyes, Akaashi hates when Bokuto looks at him like he hung the moon and the stars because Akaashi knows how much of an awful person he truly is.

 _‘There’s a reason no one has ever looked at me like that before,’_ Akaashi once thought.

On top of that, Bokuto looking at him in that way makes him feel things he has never felt before.

“I- Akaashi, I don’t know how else to ask you so I guess I’ll just say it... do you want to be my boyfriend?”

Akaashi swallows, “yes, Bokuto.”  
  
The grin that spreads across Bokuto’s face makes Akaashi’s heart clench.

“Can I kiss you?” Bokuto asks cautiously, his grin never leaves his face.

Akaashi gives Bokuto a shy smile and nods. Bokuto leans in slowly and Akaashi meets him halfway. It’s slow, soft, innocent, but Akaashi can feel all of Bokuto’s feelings for him in that kiss.

_“You guys hang out, you didn’t fake your personality at all, and Bokuto seems to like you.”_

‘ _I was being myself just now too,’_ Akaashi realizes as the two pull away for air.

“Wow,” Bokuto says breathlessly even though it was a short kiss.

“Yeah,” Akaashi whispers before leaning towards Bokuto. Bokuto’s eyes widen before meeting Akaashi again in the middle, this kiss more passionate than the last. Akaashi runs his hands through his spiked up hair but pulls away when he feels something wet on his cheek.

“Sorry,” Bokuto whispers with a laugh, he wipes his cheek, “I’m just really happy.”

Akaashi feels guilt that he’s never felt before but he answers honestly, “me too.”

Bokuto opens his mouth to say something but someone else’s voice interrupts him, “Is anyone there!?”

“Shit, it’s security!” Bokuto whisper shouts. He gets up quickly and then helps Akaashi up too, “when I say run, you run ok? Hide behind some cars at the gas station, we’ll sneak to my car, got it?”

“What!?” Akaashi whisper shouts.

“For now, follow me,” Bokuto instructs, he grabs Akaashi’s hand and pulls him quietly towards the fence behind them. He pulls open the broken part of the fence for Akaashi and once Akaashi has gone through, he follows, “keep watch, I have to tie this or else security will find it and close it.”

Akaashi nods as he looks frantically around, what he assumes is a flashlight seems far away for now.

“Ok, c’mon,” Bokuto whispers, they’re inside the school’s courtyard and are now heading to the side of the fence that faces the seven eleven across the street. Once they’re there, Bokuto quickly unties the part of the fence and lets Akaashi through.  
  
“Bokuto!” Akaashi whisper shouts when he sees the light come closer.

“Fuck!” Bokuto whisper shouts as he crosses to the other side, he sits up quickly and begins tying the strings that keep the fence together, “Shit! Akaashi, run!”

”What? I’m not leaving you!”

“Hey! You two!”

Before the flashlight hits Bokuto’s face, Akaashi jumps in between, his back facing the school security guard. He tries to shield Bokuto and his own face with his jacket, if the guard doesn’t get close enough, then he won’t see their faces.

“Hurry up!” Akaashi shouts.

”Yeahyeahyeah- I got it!” Bokuto exclaims as he stands up. He grabs Akaashi’s arm, “let’s go!”  
  
The two run as fast they can; the security guard was still yelling at them even though they were already across the street.

“You didn’t close the top!?” Akaashi shouts as the two get closer to Bokuto’s car.

“Nah! Terushima takes good care of my car!” Bokuto explains as he jumps into the driver’s seat. Akaashi still has the manners to open the door to get in, once he’s inside, he looks back and sees that the security is no longer there.  
  
“Bokuto, what if he follows us?” Akaashi asks as Bokuto backs out of the parking spot.

“I don’t think so,” Bokuto replies, “he’s a high school security guard, the worst thing he can do is call the police and I don’t think they saw our faces so we’re good!”

Akaashi blinks at Bokuto who is smiling wickedly as he drives. Akaashi faces the front slowly, still silent.

Bokuto’s smile falls, he glances at Akaashi who is still quiet, “Hey, it’s ok! I have our popsicle sticks and everything so they can’t find us or anything, I swear! Are you goo-“

Akaashi starts laughing, a type of laugh that Bokuto had been lucky to pull out of him a couple of times. A lively laugh like this from Akaashi was a rare gem to Bokuto. Akaashi raises his hands loosely in the air, letting gravity and the wind do as they please.

After laughing for a couple of seconds Akaashi catches his breath and puts his hands down, “what the hell was that? Did we just do that!?”

Bokuto is also laughing now, Akaashi wipes away tears that had formed in the corner of his eyes because of how hard he had laughed. Once the two quiet down, the ride is silent but their smiles never fade.

It isn’t until they’re close to Akaashi and Kenma’s apartment that Akaashi speaks up.

“Bokuto, I’m always overthinking,” Akaashi confesses, he sounds nervous for sharing this, “I’m always overthinking on what I’m going to say... what I’m going to do... if I’m good enough,” Akaashi pauses, “when we were going to get caught, I didn’t overthink anything, I just did what felt right at the moment,” Akaashi sighs before turning look at Bokuto, “what I’m trying to say is... thank you for tonight, thanks for helping me live a little in general.”

Bokuto parks the car, “you don’t have to thank me. You’ve never had to.”

Akaashi smiles at him, a big smile most haven’t seen, before leaning in to kiss him on the cheek, “I know... but I really want to.”

Bokuto turns to looks at him, a crooked smile on his face, “The same goes for me complimenting you. If I accept your thanks does this mean I can do it more often?”

Akaashi’s face heats up, “fine... deal?”

“Deal.”

•••

Akaashi’s giddy mood follows him all the way up to his apartment, he has the smallest hint of a smile on his face but, to the people that know him, this is huge. He unlocks his apartment door slowly as to not wake up Kenma.

“I’m still awake.”

Kenma’s voice is like a blast of ice water to the face that brings Akaashi back to reality.

“Oh,” Akaashi replies dully, his smile gone in an instant, “is Kuroo here?”

“No, he went home.”

“... oh,” Akaashi mumbles as he starts to take off his shoes. It’s silent. It’s not the kind of silence he’s used to having around Kenma.

Kenma is sitting at their kitchen island, with a mug, “do you wanna know what I’m drinking?”

“Sure,” Akaashi replies in his usual monotonous tone as he walks over to him.

“It’s lavender, Bokuto’s mom recommended it to me a couple of years ago, I’ve been drinking it since,” Kenma says casually, “... Akaashi, please sit down.”

Akaashi is quiet, not knowing how to respond to that. He takes a seat next to Kenma; the silence between them is long and awkward.

“He’s a job isn’t he?” Kenma asks suddenly.

Akaashi clenches his jaw, “yeah.”

“Akaashi, Bokuto is not the type of person that you’d be wanting to get revenge on.”

“I didn’t know, I just took the job,” Akaashi says quietly.

“I know you didn’t, you wouldn’t do this to someone unless they deserved it,” Kenma pauses, “You may not know this but Bokuto doesn’t need this kind of hurt, I don’t know if it’s my place to tell you but his last relationship didn’t go too well.”

“... so he didn’t cheat on his last boyfriend?,” Akaashi asks.

Kenma puts down his mug, “when Bokuto loves someone, he loves them hard, Akaashi. Cheating is not in that man’s vocabulary.”

Akaashi covers his face with his hands and rubs his eyes, “I knew it, something was off.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well,” Akaashi pauses, “all the things my client told me were kind of true to an extent, just blown out of proportion and... Bokuto’s dynamic with Kuroo and you didn’t sound right once I knew it was you two.”

Kenma frowns, “What did Aoki say?”

Akaashi bites his lip and the things he thought he knew about Bokuto come out. Kenma listens intently, he’s not staring at Akaashi, he’s staring at his mug that he’s holding lazily. Akaashi notices Kenma furrowing his eyebrows at certain parts; once Akaashi is done, he waits for Kenma’s response but he still seems to be processing it all.

“Wow,” Kenma says after a couple of seconds of silence, “what a bunch of bullshit.”

“Yeah, I figured but by then I was already in too deep,” Akaashi mutters.

“Aoki did always hate Kuroo,” Kenma sighs before continuing, “he thought they were too close but you know how Kuroo is with everyone. At the time, I was spending a lot of time at Kuroo’s and so was Bokuto. I guess I can see why he thought maybe we were... yeah,” Kenma pauses, “They would have really bad arguments about it, it really hurt Bokuto that his boyfriend didn’t like his best friend but Aoki was very toxic in general. He always seemed annoyed by Bokuto for the smallest reasons.”

Akaashi suddenly remembers things about Bokuto. Things he or sometimes the people around him have said or done in the past that seemed weird to Akaashi.

_“I didn’t think you were listening if I’m being honest... “_

_“....people usually just tune me out.”_

_“You probably don’t care so I’ll stop talking.”_

_“Good to know you’re doing better, Bokuto”_

And of course: _“am I doing too much?”_

There’s a long silence before Akaashi speaks up again, “I’m such an idiot.”

“You aren’t, there was really no way you could have known. It was just a job, right?” Kenma pauses, “You can’t keep doing this, Akaashi.”

“I know.”

“If Kuroo finds out...,” Kenma trails off, “I don’t know what he’d say if I’m being honest. He bought it, he thinks you guys met by coincidence,” he looks up at Akaashi, “You have to stop seeing him. Bokuto can’t get his heart broken again, it’d be too much for him. He really likes you, Akaashi.”

“I know,” Akaashi feels his tears threatening to spill out, “Kenma... what if... what if I don’t want to?” Kenma stays silent, the silence encourages Akaashi to continue talking; Akaashi swallows, “I think... I actually like him.”

Akaashi can’t stop his tears from falling out. Kenma gets up and gives him a hug, “if you like him, stop the deal with Aoki, give him his money back, I’ll pay him for you if you need me to, just please stop doing it. Once you do that, tell Bokuto about your job and tell him the truth; do it sooner rather than later, Akaashi.”

“Kenma, I think he’d hate me if I told him the truth,” Akaashi mumbles into Kenma’s shoulder, “he trusts me so much.”

Kenma rubs his shoulder, “would you rather him finding out through you or someone else? Would you rather he find out when he’s completely in love with you?”  
  
“I know, logically, I know that I have to tell him but...” Akaashi trails off.

“I know but Bokuto deserves to know. Although I’ll never tell him this, seeing Bokuto sad is the worst,” Kenma mutters, “Akaashi, you’re smart. You know what to do.”

Akaashi pulls away and nods.

”Plus,” Kenma adds, “I don’t think Bokuto could ever hate you, he seems infatuated by you.”

Akaashi’s face becomes a light shade of pink, “that’s... actually kind of reassuring.”

“I know. I’ve gotten better at comforting people.”

•••

“Wake up!”

Akaashi is startled awake by Kuroo’s loud voice.

“What’re you doing here?” Akaashi mumbles as he rubs his eyes.

“Well, I wanted to know what happened after dinner but you can tell me later, your client is calling you right now.”

Akaashi blinks a couple of times before sitting up. He’s in the living room and memories of last night come back to him. Akaashi remembers watching a sappy movie with Kenma after their talk and falling asleep almost immediately. Kuroo is standing over him with his phone in hand.

“I don’t want to answer,” Akaashi says honestly.

Kuroo raises an eyebrow, it’s not usual for Akaashi to share what he’s thinking, “oh... are you ok?”

“Yeah.”

Kenma comes out of his room, “you should answer that, Akaashi.”

“What’s wrong? Did the guy not fall in love with you?” Kuroo’s face is full of concern for his friend. He frantically tries to read Akaashi’s face in an effort to give him comfort, “I know how you feel about failure but fifteen guys and they’ve all gone by perfectly? It was bound to happen so don’t be too hard on yourself.”

Kuroo sits next to Akaashi and puts an arm around him. Akaashi doesn’t even try to fight him off and instead leans into him, “Kuroo you’re about to be really mad at me.”

“Dude, you’ve literally done nothing wrong your whole life, I won’t get mad at you just because you failed once,” Kuroo replies softly, he sounds very worried now since Akaashi doesn’t usually hug him back, “I’m not one to judge.”

Akaashi jolts upright and stands up, “no, Kuroo, I really messed up,” Akaashi sits on the coffee table in front of Kuroo, “I don’t know how to tell you this without it sounding as bad as it is but listen to the full story, ok?”

Kuroo sits back and crosses his arms, the slight quirk of his right eyebrow lets Akaashi know that Kuroo is confused and trying to read what’s going on.

“Bokuto was my client’s ex,” Akaashi pauses; Kuroo’s face looks unreadable, “his ex, Aoki-“ at the mention of Aoki’s name, Kuroo clicks his tongue.

“Sorry, continue,” is all Kuroo says.

Akaashi’s eyes widen ever so slightly before going back to normal, “he told me all these things about Bokuto and... well, I was doing my job but... Bokuto is nothing like what Aoki says he is. Aoki said Bokuto cheated on him with his best friend but when I saw that it was you, I knew Aoki was wrong. I had the feeling he was before but I thought Bokuto was one of those guys that pretend to be nice at first and... I like him, Kuroo. I actually like him, I don’t know how to get out of this and I don’t want to hurt Bokuto-“

“It’s not like you to ramble,” Kuroo interrupts, “this must be why you had so many headaches in high school; you’re always thinking too much and bottling it in, I’m glad you’re sharing now. Either that or you’re starting to hang out too much with Bokuto.”

Akaashi blinks at him, “you don’t seem as mad as I thought you’d be.”

“Akaashi, I know you would never do anything to intentionally hurt a good person and there was really no way for you to know,” Kuroo sighs, “if anything it’s kinda my fault for not introducing you to Bokuto earlier. And yeah, this sucks but Bokuto is _really_ into you, Akaashi. Bokuto tells me _everything_ but he didn’t tell me your name or showed me a picture because he said you seemed like a private person and he didn’t want me to ask you questions. You know how much he talks and yet he didn’t tell me a single thing about you apart from how beautiful and cute you are. He really likes you, Akaashi. Aoki is nothing but a jealous, toxic bastard so I’m sure Bokuto will understand.”

Akaashi takes a deep breath and exhales, ignoring the blush that forms on his face, “you’re right. It was a misunderstanding, a huge one but it was a misunderstanding.”

 _‘Kuroo was able to make him bounce back and start thinking logically,’_ Kenma thinks with a small, fond smile as he pours tea into some mugs.

“Exactly, and! You actually do like him! If you were lying about your feelings this whole time, this would be so much worse,” Kuroo smiles, “it’ll all be ok, just tell him soon.”

Kenma sits next to Kuroo with three mugs, he hands one to Kuroo and another to Akaashi before talking, “you seem better. Kuroo is the one that has taught me how to comfort people better so thank him for last night.”

“There are a total of two jokes I can make right now so starting with number one-“

“Too early for this, Kuroo,” Akaashi says in a deadpan voice.

“And Keiji “The Biggest Hater” Akaashi is back!” Kuroo exclaims.

Akaashi extends his palm, a small smile on his lips as Kuroo hands him his phone.

Akaashi takes another deep breath before returning Aoki’s call.

”Akaashi! Hi! How did it go last night?”

“Hello, Aoki-san,” Akaashi pauses, “it went well but...” he swallows, “I can’t do this job anymore.”  
  
The other line goes silent and Akaashi has to check if he hung up or not.

“Put him on speaker,” Kuroo mouths while charading “helpful” motions to help Akaashi understand what he’s trying to say. Akaashi makes a face before doing what Kuroo said.

“Hello-?”

“Why?”

Akaashi frowns, “sorry, I didn’t catch that.”

“Why can’t you do it anymore?”  
  
“Listen, I’ll give you your money back. I just,” Akaashi pauses, “I don’t think Bokuto is what you say he is and I don’t want to do this anymore.”

A short, dry laugh is heard from the other end, “you fucked him didn’t you?”

Kenma’s eyebrows raise immediately, obviously taken aback by Aoki’s sudden change of tone. Kuroo frowns and begins mouthing, “give me the phone.”  
  
Akaashi shakes his head in response to Kuroo’s request, “I beg your pardon?”

“You fucked him, didn’t you? That’s why you don’t want to do this anymore, huh? Cause you got what _you_ wanted.”

“First of all, I have not had sex with him. Secondly, you were lying to me about Bokuto. You told me all this shit about him being a cheater but there is no way he could have-“

“How do you know, huh?” Aoki interrupts, “Did he tell you? God, don’t tell me you actually believed it! I thought you had been doing this for a long time, I would’ve expected you to know how these types of men work.”

“Bokuto is not the same as those other men. When it comes down to it, you’re more like them than anyone else,” Akaashi’s usually flat voice has a slight hint of venom that makes Kuroo give Akaashi a thumbs up with the most evil smirk he can muster; Kenma smacks him in return.

Aoki goes silent before he laughs bitterly, “holy shit!” Aoki laughs again, this time he sounds as if he was just told the best joke in the world, “don’t tell me you _actually_ fell in love with him and that’s why you can’t do this anymore. Is that it, Akaashi-kun? Couldn’t help your feelings getting involved? He’s hot, huh? You might think you like him but I _promise_ you that you’ll end up hating him as much as I do... you’re so weak and pathetic-“

“Alllllright!” Kuroo exclaims as he takes Akaashi’s phone, “hi! It’s nice to talk to you again, Aoki!” Before Aoki can respond, Kuroo takes him off the speaker and walks to the front of the room. He picks his nails as he nods, “Uh-huh... yah... mmm... I see... those weren’t very nice comments about my boyfriend and me, Aoki-chan. I kind of wish those cheating scenarios you made up in your head were real... no, not because I actually want to have sex with my best friend, no, not at all. I just wish they were real so that I could rub it in your face that no matter how much better than everyone you pretend to be, your boyfriend of a year fucked you only _once_ and then immediately _came_ looking for us. Get it? came? Well, I actually don’t know if you do get it since cumming isn’t something your boyfriends are used to when they’re with you.”

Akaashi’s eyes widen at that, he turns to look at Kenma for help but his eyes are just as wide, if not wider, and looking right back. Kenma purses his lips before taking a sip out of his mug.

“... ok, you done?” Aoki can still be heard ranting but Kuroo seems very uninterested, “Aoki! Thanks for sharing but I’m getting bored with this argument. We’ve had it way too many times already don’t you think?... yeah?... ok, stay mad, Aoki-chan, Bye-bye!” Kuroo hangs up and gives Akaashi his phone, “do yourself a favor and block that number.”

Akaashi nods slowly, “thank you.”

“No problem, that’s what friends are for. No one is weak just because they’re showing emotion,” Kuroo sighs as he flops on the couch next to Kenma; Kenma immediately glares at him for making him splash tea everywhere, “oh, and Akaashi...”

“Hm?”

Kuroo smirks, “Today is Monday so Bokuto’s practice ends at 10... go get ‘em.”

Akaashi blushes before excusing himself to go get dressed. Kuroo’s words replay in his head.

”No one is weak just because they’re showing emotion,” Akaashi whispers to himself as he walks to his room. He can’t help but frown, _’I hate it when Kuroo gives me good advice.’_

_•  
•  
•  
•  
•_

“I sounded kinda badass, right, Kenma?” Kuroo whispers once Akaashi is gone.

“I’m only agreeing with you because your comeback was pretty good.”

“The cumming joke?”

“Don’t call it that or I’m never going to compliment you again.”

“ _Cum_ on, Kenma!”

“... Go back to your apartment.... _please_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!! Thank you to everyone who has commented so far and everyone who’s reading this in general. I debated posting this story because although I thought the story could go places, I genuinely thought no one was going to read it. Thank you guys so much for sticking with it!
> 
> Fortunately (or unfortunately if you’re Akaashi and Bokuto or if you just really don’t like this fic), there’s a lot more to come so I hope you continue reading :).


	9. Crush - Souly Had + Tea Errors - Jack Stauber

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akaashi is learning what it’s like to have a boyfriend that you actually care about and turns to his friends for help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have ADHD and you can probably tell from the way these conversations went from one place to another lmao
> 
> Crush: Akaashi and Bokuto’s pov because they’re very cute.
> 
> Tea Errors: Akaashi.
> 
> Enjoy!

“Akaashi!!!” Bokuto exclaims when he opens the door.

Akaashi blushes and looks down, “I saw you last night and told you I was coming over.”

“I know!” Bokuto chirps as he closes the door behind Akaashi, “but can you blame me? We’re dating now and you’re cute.”

Akaashi blushes even more, “Bokuto...”

“Sorry, too much?”

Akaashi shakes his head with a small smile, “no, just not used to it.”

“I know, that’s why I’m going to get you used to it,” Bokuto smiles, “I’m going to compliment you so hard, Akaashi.”

“In that case, I’m going to get you used to stop asking me if you’re being too much,” Akaashi mumbles but Bokuto hears him.

“You wanna make it a competition?”

“Why do we need to make it a competition?”

“Why not!?”

“You’re already better than me at a lot of things, Bokuto. If I lose then it just adds to the list and I don’t think my self-esteem can take that.”

Bokuto’s face is red at the compliment, “Jesus- anyways... uh- someone on the team was talking about cookies so I- I thought we could make some while we listen to random songs I’ve Shazamed but haven’t listened to fully yet...”

_‘I guess I won’t tell him right now.’_

_•••  
_

“Oh! I shazamed this one while watching some Turkish soap opera!” Bokuto explains.

“Why were you watching a Turkish soap opera?” Akaashi asks.

“I was sick and there was nothing else on!” Bokuto defends. There is comfortable silence between the two; Akaashi is laying on the couch while Bokuto is in the kitchen, looking at the cookies that are now in the oven. The silence continues but once the lyrics start up, Bokuto speaks up, “... wanna dance, ‘Kaashi?”

“I don’t really know how to dance,” Akaashi replies.

“You don’t know how to waltz?” Bokuto asks, obviously surprised.

“Well...” Akaashi pauses debating on whether or not he should say the truth, “... I do... I just haven’t done it in a while-.”

“So!? C’mon, I’ll lead,” Bokuto makes his way over too quickly for Akaashi to even process what was going on. Akaashi sits up and by then Bokuto is bowing in front of him with his hand extended.

“May I have this dance?”

Akaashi blushes as he takes his hand, “you’re so cheesy.”

“You like it,” Bokuto replies cheekily but Akaashi doesn’t miss the second of doubt that flashed in Bokuto’s eyes when Bokuto pulled him up.

“Of course I do.”

The song is unfamiliar and yet familiar all at once; the literature major in Akaashi can’t help but think that it symbolizes exactly what his relationship with Bokuto is.

“Dance me to the end of love,” the speakers pour out. Bokuto puts his hand on Akaashi’s waist and holds Akaashi’s hand with his other. Akaashi awkwardly puts his other hand on Bokuto’s shoulder as the two start to move.

“Oh let me see your beauty when the witnesses are gone,” Bokuto sings quietly as the two get into an actual rhythm. Akaashi can’t help looking up at Bokuto, a bit startled by his singing, “let me feel you moving like they do in Babylon...”

Akaashi can’t help his breath hitch at that but Bokuto doesn’t notice.

“... show me slowly what I only know the limits of...”

‘ _oh,’_ Akaashi thinks, _‘is he ready for that? He had sex with his ex of a year once... what if he decides I’m also not good enough and never wants to have sex again? That would be so embarrassing also, isn’t this too soon? If he’s already in love- I’m overthinking this right now, aren’t I? He’s just singing along.’_

“Oh dance me to the end of love,” Bokuto sings even quieter than before, he’s looking down at Akaashi with the smallest, softest smile Akaashi has seen from him yet, “Don’t freak out, I know we’ve been dating for a day so don’t think this is me confessing my love for you just yet. Even _I_ know it’s too soon,” they laugh before Bokuto continues, “I honestly still can’t believe you like me back, Akaashi.”

Akaashi lets go of Bokuto’s hand and pulls him down with a hand around his neck and a hand tangled in his hair. “I like you so much, Bokuto. Please never question that,” mutters before kissing Bokuto softly.

_‘Please don’t.’_

Bokuto melts into his kiss. There is no tongue, it’s a simple, innocent kiss but it calms Akaashi’s nerves immediately.

Bokuto seems to have that kind of power over him. The power of causing Akaashi’s nerves and calming them all at once.

Bokuto pulls Akaashi closer ( _‘His arms!!’_ ), Akaashi can feel Bokuto’s tongue poke his mouth and Akaashi can’t help the smile that spreads across his face nor the breathy laugh that escapes him, Bokuto’s not-so-smooth behavior making him feel even more fond of the man in front of him. It scares Akaashi how easy it was for him to let Bokuto in. After a couple more seconds of making out, Bokuto sits on the couch and pulls Akaashi with him, trying not to part away from him the best he could. Akaashi straddles his lap and tangles both of his hands in his hair. Bokuto is kissing him harder and suddenly he’s gone. Akaashi can’t help making a face of confusion before opening his eyes.

Bokuto laughs softly at Akaashi’s expression, “you were getting into it, huh?”

Akaashi blushes, he lets out a groan of embarrassment as he hides his face in the crook of Bokuto’s neck.

“You’re so cute, Akaashi!” Bokuto says before twisting his neck to give Akaashi a kiss on the cheek, “sorry I stopped. If we would’ve continued I don’t know how far it would’ve gone-“

“It’s fine.”

“Impatient?” Bokuto teases.

Akaashi can feel his face heating up even more.

“I am too,” Bokuto says in a serious tone that makes Akaashi shiver, “but I don’t have any... uh... supplies,” Bokuto says in a voice that sounds more like him, “also, I know you’re not as sappy as I am but I don’t want the first time we have sex to be in my living room.”

Akaashi smiles, “it’s fine.”

“Yeah?” Bokuto asks, “so what do you want to do?”

“This is fine,” Akaashi mutters, “I think I just want a hug.”

Akaashi doesn’t have to see him to know that Bokuto has a smile on his face. Bokuto plays with his hair as he wraps his arms around him instead of just having them on his waist.

“I want to do something for you one of these days,” Akaashi whispers shyly.

“Oh?”

“Mhm... it’s usually you taking me out on these dates so I want to take you out some time,” Akaashi explains.

“You don’t have to-“

“I want to.”

Bokuto hums, his hands are still in Akaashi’s hair, “if you want to then ok, do you know when?”

“Not really,” Akaashi replies sleepily, “I’ll tell you when I know.”

“Can’t wait.”

Akaashi smiles softly, _‘I can’t lose this. It’s just started.’_

•••

“WHEN WERE YOU GOING TO TELL US THAT BOKUTO AND YOU ARE DATING!?”

Hinata’s yelling is not the most ideal thing to hear first thing in the morning unless you’re Kageyama.

Newsflash: Akaashi is definitely not Kageyama.

Akaashi winces, “let me have coffee first and then we can talk.”

“We thought you’d say that,” Oikawa has his arms crossed, his back leaning against the shop’s front desk, “Hinata... if you will.”

Hinata grabs a cup of coffee that was next to him from where he was sitting on top of the front desk, “drink up, we need answers!”

Akaashi grabs the cup of coffee; he may be a lot of things but he’s not one that refuses a free cup of coffee.

“Just because I’m in a good mood-“

“That’s unheard of!”

Akaashi shoots Oikawa a glare before continuing, “as I was saying... just because I’m in a good mood, I’ll answer your questions.”

“Gwahhh! Ok, ok,” Hinata pauses, obviously trying to think of a good question. The excitement on his face makes Akaashi suddenly feel nervous.

“Since Hinata is taking his time let me go!” Oikawa exclaims, “who asked out who? Where’d he ask you out? Bokuto is a romantic, so was he romantic? What did you guys do after that? Was it awkward? When did you guys start dating? Are you the botto-“

“Alright, that’s enough from you, Oikawa,” Akaashi interrupts, he takes a swig of coffee to hide his blush.

“Ok! Maybe don’t answer the last one but answer the other questions!” Oikawa says, his excitement obvious in his voice.

“Well, he asked me out-“

“I thought so.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Akaashi, my dear, you don’t even text first,” Oikawa explains, his voice sounds kind but it also sounds as if he’s telling Akaashi the most obvious thing in the world in the most condescending way, “what I’m trying to say is that you never make the first move for anything.”

Hinata nods, “he’s got a point!”

Akaashi stares at his friends in disbelief, “anyways... uh, he asked me out on a hill with a nice view of the city so... I guess it was kind of romantic.”

Akaashi pauses with a frown, knowing what was about to come.

“CUTE!!!!!” Hinata squeals.

“Wah! That’s so cliché!” Oikawa whines, his face in his hands.

“In a good or bad way?” Akaashi asks cautiously.

“Are you kidding me!?” Oikawa cries out, “I mean it in the best way!”

“Oi, you guys are too loud!” Daichi calls out from across the shop; he’s currently at the coffee shop part of the bookstore getting everything ready for the day.

“Sorry!” Oikawa, Hinata, and Akaashi say in unison.

“What did you guys do after, huh!?” Oikawa asks.

“Yeah! C’mon, tell us!” Hinata exclaims, Akaashi once again winces at Hinata’s loudness, “we tell you everything so don’t be ashamed!”

“I don’t necessarily ask you guys to tell me everything,” Akaashi can’t help the light blush that spreads across his face, “we did not have sex, you pervs.”

“Aw, what!?” Oikawa exclaims, “You broke the chain! All of the people in our friend group have had sex right after their confession.”

“Isn’t it weird that we just know that about each other?” Akaashi asks, very much done with everyone, “plus, how the fuck was I supposed to have sex on a hill, Oikawa?”

“Iwa-chan and I-“

“I’m going to stop you right there,” Akaashi interrupts quickly, “Listen, he’s my third real boyfriend, I want to be careful.”

Oikawa hums, “fair enough.”

“Ok, so what did you guys do after the confession?” Hinata asks, still on the edge of wanting to know. 

“We... we kissed,” Akaashi avoids his friends’ looks as they shoot him thumbs up, “and then we ran from security.”

“WHAT!?” Oikawa and Hinata shout in unison.

“Sorry, I couldn’t help but overhear that Akaashi ran away from security!?” Suga says out of nowhere.

The three men jump at the sound of their boss/friend’s voice.

“Since when were you back from Miyagi!?” Hinata asks in surprise.

“Last night! I wanted to come see my favorite employees so I was hiding at the coffee shop but this conversation got too interesting,” Suga explains, “I’m kinda hurt you didn’t tell me, Akaashi!”

“No one knows,” Akaashi replies quietly, “speaking of, how did you two find out?”

“You’re all he has been talking about since yesterday,” Hinata says, “I was going to text you but knowing you, you would’ve definitely ignored me.”

Akaashi hums, “true.”

“Hinata told me,” Oikawa replies happily.

“Sorry for eavesdropping!” Suga apologizes.

“It’s fine, I was going to tell you about it once you were back,” Akaashi replies.

“Wait so are we not going to talk more about Akaashi running away from the cops!?” Hinata speaks up.

“We had to go through a high school for the view; it was just a high school security guard, Hinata.”

“That’s still kind of like the law!” Hinata shouts.

“I don’t know if the security guard of a high school _can_ be considered that exactly but that _is_ trespassing a.k.a illegal which means...” Oikawa does a drum roll on the desk with his hands before stopping abruptly and making a sound effect, ”dun! Our beautiful, angel, baby Akaashi Keiji has done something illegal!”

“Way to go!” Suga exclaims.

“Please don’t encourage this!” Daichi shouts from across the store.

“No promises!” Suga shouts back.

“Fuck you, Akaashi! You’re living the dream life of a teenage girl that listens to Mac DeMarco and me,” Oikawa wails.

“Just when I thought you couldn’t get cooler, Akaashi!” Hinata says with excitement, “I can't believe two of the coolest people I know are dating! That’s like... a power couple!”

“Iwa-chan and I are also a power couple!” Oikawasays defensively, “don’t act like you don’t know a power couple!”

“It can’t be a power couple if only one person is powerful,” Kageyama says, emerging from the coffee shop.

“Me?”

“No, it’s Iwaizumi,” Kageyama replies as if it’s the obvious answer.

“Asshole!” Oikawa scoffs, “We should make a couples tier list tonight.”

“Wait, when did you and Bokuto start dating,” Suga asks.

“Sunday.”

“Keij-chan! Stop being so private about these things unless you’re on cloud nine, drunk, or getting grilled for answers!” Oikawa whines.

“I’m suddenly glad I don’t go over to this drinking seshes,” Suga laughs, “good luck tonight, I’m guessing more people don’t know?”

“Thank you, Suga,” Akaashi’s genuineness makes Suga laugh.

“What do you mean suddenly glad? Fridays are date nights, that’s why we don’t go,” Daichi suddenly says, his arms are crossed and he’s now at the arched doorway that leads to the cafe, standing next to Kageyama.

“I was just joking, you know how much I like our date nights,” Suga replies sweetly.

“With those hickeys you come back with? I can see why,” Oikawa comments which causes everyone to laugh except Daichi, who is currently a blushing mess.

“That’s so cute though! You two are the couple everyone looks up!” Hinata exclaims, “oi, Kageyama, why don’t we try to do a date night?”

“Why didn’t you idiots try to do that in the beginning!?” Oikawa sounds exasperated, ”well, at least you guys gave up on those dumb ”Break Dates” or whatever.” 

“We stopped doing that weeks ago, Oikawa,” Kageyama points out. 

“That’s worse!”

“We can have one tonight!” Hinata exclaims.

“You guys aren’t coming over to Kuroo’s then?” Akaashi asks.

Hinata frowns, “I guess?”

“We’ll host next week,” Kageyama offers.

“That’s cute but... only power couples have date nights since the beginning of their relationship,” Suga says cheekily.

“No, power couples don’t need date nights because they’re always together, just like Iwa-chan and me!”

“In that case, Hinata and I are a power couple.”

“No,” Akaashi suddenly says, causing everyone to turn to look at him, “a true power couple does something new every time they hang out which makes every time feel like a date... just like Bokuto and me.”

Although it was kind of embarrassing (Akaashi’s cheeks gave that bit away), hearing everyone groan or make a gagging noise at that comment was funny to Akaashi. He can see why his friends say things like that now; not only is it funny but it’s a declaration of believing in your relationship. It’s scary to Akaashi but ever since Sunday, his perspective on things has changed. One of them being that he hated showing any form of affection but now, although he’s not as gross as Suga and Daichi, he’s more open about it. It concerns Akaashi how his opinions on affection have changed so quickly; only time could tell how much more open he'd become later on.

Akaashi pushes away that feeling of anxiety that is always in the back of his mind and instead focuses on the warm feeling inside that he can’t control at the thought of Bokuto and his’s “dates”. He can’t help but hope that Bokuto feels the same and that the warmth that Bokuto feels for him won’t be extinguished any time soon.

•••  
  


“I called it!” Yamaguchi exclaims happily, “when we were at the store! I knew it!”

“Shut up, Yamaguchi.”

Yamaguchi just smiles at Tsukishima and sticks out his tongue. Akaashi doesn’t miss the smile that Tsukishima tries to hide.

“Cute, disgustingly so,” Oikawa says.

“You’re the biggest sap out of everyone here, Crappykawa,” Iwaizumi says with a sigh.

“I still think it’s very unfair that the cold, mean Tsukishima has such a cute relationship... it pisses me off,” Kuroo says with a frown.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Kenma asks.

“I’m kidding, kitten!”

Kenma frowns at the nickname.

“Ok- See what I mean!?” Kuroo cries out.

“Wait! Can we make the tier list?” Oikawa asks as if he wasn’t just pretending to be disgusted.

Kenma quirks an eyebrow, immediately not trusting what’s about to come out of Oikawa’s mouth, “A tier list? For what exactly?”

“Couples tier list!”

“This is not a good idea at all,” Akaashi mutters before taking a swig of an already opened wine bottle that was on the coffee table in front of him.

“Akaashi is right guys, this could end in a fight,” Kuroo says in a serious tone that surprises everyone, “but what the hell! The nights young!”

“It’s already 1:00 am, Kuroo,” Kenma points out.

“We’re young!” Kuroo repeats before resuming, “we’re hot! Let’s do it!”

“Don’t include me in this!” Akaashi shouts over the voices of his friends who are now talking amongst each other.

“What!? Why not? You’re allowed to be in this now,” Oikawa questions.

“I don’t think I should do it considering the fact that my boyfriend isn’t here.”

Kuroo scoffs, “he lives down the street!”

“Wait! Deadass!?” Oikawa asks, “call him over!”

“You don’t have to,” Iwaizumi says to Akaashi.

“Please don’t,” Tsukishima says before taking a shot.

“I’m not going to invite him right now,” Akaashi mutters.

“Why not?” Yamaguchi asks.

“It’s too soon,” Akaashi replies before taking another sip of wine.

“Don’t hog it,” Kenma mumbles as he takes it away from Akaashi.

“Plus, we have a rule.”

The rule was simple; no one is allowed to invite anyone to any of these gatherings unless everyone else knew the person and they all discussed it beforehand.This was a rule made to avoid conflict.

“... so who’s gonna tell her?” Oikawa whispers loudly.

“What?”

“Akaashi, my dear friend,” Kuroo says as he reaches over Kenma to put a hand on Akaashi’s shoulder, “we all know him.”

Akaashi frowns, “... are you lying to me right now?”

“No! So you already know Kenma and I know him, uh, Iwaizumi!”

“I hang out with Kuroo and Bokuto sometimes. We go to the gym together,” Iwaizumi explains.

“And I know him because we’re a power couple that knows each other’s friends,” Oikawa says with a smile.

“You already know that we know him,” Tsukishima speaks up, pointing between Yamaguchi and himself.

“Well, what about Hinata and Kageyama? They’re not here to make a vote,” Akaashi argues.

“They’re his teammates!”

“What if they don’t like him?”

“Those two are the reason Bokuto’s ego is so big,” Kuroo scoffs, “they’ll be fine!”

“So! We all know Bokuto!” Oikawa says happily, “let’s invite him!”

“He’s probably sleeping,” Akaashi lies, Bokuto is currently texting him.

“Nah, he’s texting me right now,” Kuroo says with a smirk.

“If Akaashi doesn’t feel comfortable then maybe we shouldn’t invite him,” Yamaguchi speaks up, Kenma nods in agreement.

“It’s not that I’m uncomfortable... I’m just worried that it may be too soon? Hanging out with all my friends in one place sounds too... I don’t know how to explain it,” Akaashi explains, “I’d be ok with it but I don’t want him to feel like I’m going too fast.”

“He’ll be more than happy to be here, trust me,” Iwaizumi comments, he‘s sitting beside Akaashi on the floor. Akaashi looks down to look at him and Iwaizumi smiles at him and pats his knee awkwardly, “don’t be so worried.”

“You’re drunk,” Akaashi says monotonously.

“Yeah, but he had a point,” Yamaguchi says, “of course, if you don’t want to, You don’t have to!”

“I... I’ll do it next week.”

Kuroo punches the air excitedly, “LETS GOOOO!”

“Oh god,” Tsukishima groans.

“Maybe you can forgive him for the ramen incide-“

“Yamaguchi!” Kuroo interrupts nervously, “let’s not bring it up, I’m on thin ice.”

“What the hell is this ramen incident?” Oikawa questions, clearly confused.

“We don’t talk about it,” Iwaizumi grimaces, “I regret not being able to do anything to help.”

“Jesus, it's not like you guys went to war,” Kenma says with a laugh.

“It might as well be considered a war!” Kuroo cries out, “I almost died!”

“It was kind of on you, Kuroo,” Akaashi comments.

“We don’t talk about it,” Tsukishima says with a scowl.

“Good! Now he’s mad!” Kuroo whines, “let’s just never bring it up again, deal?”

“Why would he do that!?” Oikawa suddenly exclaims.

All eyes turn to look at Oikawa who had a very drunk Iwaizumi whispering in his ear.

“You dumbass! You weren’t supposed to let them know that you knew!” Iwaizumi shouts causing Oikawa to clutch his ear in pain.

“You’re right in front of us,” Tsukishima mutters as he rubs his temples.

“Drunk Iwaizumi is so dumb,” Kuroo whispers to Kenma.

“As if drunk Kuroo is any better,” Kenma replies, “don’t you remember that one time you went skinny dipping in the pond near Iwaizumi and Oikawa’s apartment?”

“Yeah, but it was a dare!”

“No, it wasn’t at all, you just wanted to skinny dip,” Akaashi reminds Kuroo, “and then those geese started to attack you-“

“Ok! Let’s forget that memory!” Kuroo interrupts.

“That night was awful,” Kenma mutters, “Kageyama woke up next to the pond the morning after.”

“And we couldn’t find him when we came back to the apartments so we were searching for Kageyama while drunk!” Yamaguchi recalls while laughing.

“Hinata was crying!” Oikawa adds.

Iwaizumi scoffs, “don’t act so high and mighty, I fell asleep on a bench near Kageyama after not being able to find him and you cried too.”

“I thought you were kidnapped!” Oikawa defends.

“Dude, no one is kidnapping Iwaizumi,” Kuroo says before taking a sip of his drink, “have you seen him?”

“That's true, Iwaizumi looks really strong and reliable,” Yamaguchi adds on.

“Wait, I know!~” Tsukishima says cheerfully which makes everyone immediately suspicious, “we should make a different type of ranking list! How about a “Most likely to get kidnapped and get their organs sold on the black market” list! I hope- no, sorry, I think Hinata has the highest probability.”

“He’s such a dick but he’s right,” Iwaizumi says while nodding uncharacteristically, “he’s definitely going first.”

Everyone nods in agreement.

“Who’s next?” Kuroo asks, very focused on the discussion.

“Well, obviously me, pretty boys get kidnapped more often,” Oikawa says with a smirk.

“If pretty boys get kidnapped more often then you’re probably safe,” Iwaizumi remarks.

“Please don’t make out in my apartment,” Kuroo says with a groan.

“I think it’s Yamaguchi,” Kenma says.

“Whatttt? Why?” Yamaguchi whines.

“Too kind, too good for this world,” Akaashi explains.

“An angel, would probably get kidnapped for trying to help an old homeless man cross the street. Like... he thinks it’s a homeless old man but in actuality, the man is selling organs in the black market,” Oikawa adds.

“That’s... sweet?” Yamaguchi furrows his eyebrows, “I don’t know whether I should be offended or not.”

“Next is definitely Oikawa because he’s stupid,” Iwaizumi suddenly says.

“What!?”

“True,” Everyone says simultaneously.

“You’re dumb, gay, and an asshole, everyone wants to cut you open so why not do it while also getting money,” Kuroo states simply as if he had just said something casual.

“I- do you want to kill me!?”

Kuroo shrugs, “I mean, sometimes but there’s probably a couple of people who really, really, _really_ want you dead.”

“What the hell!?” Oikawa cries out.

“He’s kind of right,” Tsukishima says with a smirk.

“Iwa! Do something! Your friends are being mean!” Oikawa whines.

“They have a point.”

“Hmmm,” Akaashi hums, “next I think is Kageyama.”

“Oooo~ Akaashi is tipsy!” Kuroo exclaims, “but definitely, he’ll fall for a scam.”

“Are you guys calling him dumb right now? He’s not here to defend himself,” Yamaguchi says incredulously.

“You guys are so mean! The only one that had an actual kind reason was Yamaguchi!” Oikawa pouts.

“That’s because Yamaguchi is Yamaguchi and you guys are...” Tsukishima drifts off, “well, you.”

“I’m hurt!” Oikawa shouts.

“Oooo borderline drunk Oikawa!” Kuroo points out with a smirk.

“Do you just know everyone’s level of drunkenness, Kuroo?” Yamaguchi questions.

Kuroo nods, “you always have to know these things when it comes to people who are awful drunks.”

“I am not an awful drunk,” Akaashi scoffs.

“You’re not but you share a lot with us when you’re drunk and then you beat yourself over it later,” Kuroo replies before singing, “I know you, Akaashi!”

“You’re creepy, that’s what you are,” Iwaizumi sighs.

“Yeah!? Well, you know what else is creepy?”

“What?”

“... I dunno, I was asking you.”

Tsukishima rubs his temples, “I wanna go home.”

“Speaking of going home,” Kenma says, “I’m spending the night here so you don’t have to wait on me, Akaashi.”

“Have fun having sex on a mattress on the floor,” Iwaizumi teases, holding back laughter.

Tsukishima, Oikawa, and Yamaguchi snicker at that.

“Actually, I’ll have you know I have an actual bed, thank you very much,” Kuroo whines, “stop making me look so broke!”

“All you have in your room is that bed and your clothes in the closet, Kuroo,” Akaashi comments.

“Well, what do you want me to do!?”

“Get a job,” Kenma, Akaashi, Tsukishima, Iwaizumi, and Oikawa say simultaneously.

“You too, Oikawa!?” Kuroo cries out.

“I was on your side until I found out you only have a bed in your room.”

“Dude!” Kuroo shouts.

“I think I’m actually gonna go soon,” Akaashi says, changing the subject, “but... I need to ask Iwaizumi and Tsukishima something.”

Tsukishima raises an eyebrow, “yeah?”

“I want to do something nice for Bokuto... like... a date or something... what should I do?”

Everyone is silent for a couple of seconds.

“Why the hell are you asking Tsukishima and Iwa-chan!?” Oikawa cries out, “they’re the worst to ask for advice on this! Why didn’t you ask me or... Yamaguchi! The sappiest people in the room!”

“Yeah! What the hell!?” Kuroo shouts, “or me! What about me!?”

Akaashi shrugs, “I just thought they’d be better since they’re dating Oikawa and Yamaguchi, Kenma isn’t into cheesy stuff so I didn’t think you’d know.”

“I- yeah you’re right but still! I’m hurt you didn’t ask me!”

“Tsukishima though?” Kenma mumbles.

“I’ll have you all know, I’m a very good boyfriend,” Tsukishima speaks up.

Yamaguchi nods in agreement, “you guys don’t know this but Tsuki is very sappy-“

“Yamaguchi- please.”

“Wait but what’s up?” Kuroo asks, “you’ve never really worried about these sorts of things when it comes to relationships.”

Akaashi clenches his jaw to keep himself from blushing, it doesn’t work, “he always takes me out on dates and I just want to do something for him.”

“You’re a guy, Akaashi. You know the best way to do something for your boyfriend is to _do_ him,” Kuroo says with a smirk.

“Christ-“

“Testurou, please,” Kenma mutters, his head in his hands.

“You were wondering why he didn’t ask you... there’s your answer,” Tsukishima says, his face looks very done with Kuroo.

“What?” Kuroo puts his hands up in defense, “I’m just saying what we’re all thinking.”

“No one was thinking that,” Everyone says simultaneously.

Iwaizumi rubs his face before turning to Akaashi, “What does he like?”

“He really likes Akaashi’s-“

“Please stop, you’re so horny,” Tsukishima whines, he takes off his glasses to rub his eyes.

“What type of dates has he taken you on, Keij-chan?” Oikawa asks.

“You’re just being nosy,” Iwaizumi mumbles.

Akaashi blushes, “Really sappy ones like... picnics, Netflix and cuddling dates- Kuroo please don’t say anything- and... you know how he asked me out.... he’s just a huge sap with cliche dates,” Akaashi replies.

“Holy shit he actually did it,” Kuroo groans.

“He’s so stupid,” Kenma facepalms.

“What?” Akaashi questions.

“Well... after his last breakup he was watching a shit ton of rom-coms and stuff and I mean a _ton_. Anyways, he made a list of really cute dates he saw and vowed that he’d take his next boyfriend on all of them.”

Akaashi shakes his head in disbelief but he has a fond smile on his face.

“Cute, disgustingly so,” Oikawa comments.

“It’s a good list,” Yamaguchi says, “I know because Tsuki has had to use it-“

“Shut up, Yamaguchi.”

Oikawa sputters, “wait what!?”

Kuroo laughs, “holy shit, you’ve used the list!?”

“Quit acting like you haven’t, Kuro,” Kenma retorts.

“I- uh,” Kuroo sputters, “Iwaizumi has too!”

He points at Iwaizumi which causes everyone to turn to look at the man.

Iwaizumi just shrugs in response.

“Tell him to send me the list,” Kenma whispers to Akaashi.

“Hey!” Kuroo shouts.

•••

Akaashi wakes up to a knock on the door.

“Hold on!” Akaashi groans as he trudges to the door; he rubs his eyes before opening it.

“Oh, god.”

In front of him are Kuroo, Tsukishima, and Iwaizumi.

“You needed help?” Kuroo says with a smirk.

Akaashi sighs in response.

“... come in.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thank you very much for reading. Akaashi is very new to all this lmao bless him.


	10. Goodie Bag - Still Woozie + Right Down The Line - Sam Evian

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akaashi is an anxious mess, his friends are actually useful for once, and Akaashi is still trying his best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had technical difficulties but here we go!
> 
> Goodie Bag actually fits Akaashi’s pov pretty well now that I look at it but both are just cute songs I used to write this lol.
> 
> Enjoy!

“I see why you had to borrow Bokuto’s list now,” Akaashi says with a sigh before throwing his head back on the couch; he closes his eyes, “I give up.”

“In my defense, we’ve all used it at _least_ once!” Kuroo retorts, “I stick with the amusement park idea though.”

“I think dinner is the best way to go,” Tsukishima speaks up, “it’s a safe choice.”

“I say you should just do nothing,” Iwaizumi mutters before taking a sip of coffee, “he said you don’t have to so... just don’t.”

“Dude how has Oikawa not broken up with you yet?” Kuroo sighs, “Akaashi, man, listen... this is hard so just say fuck it and do both.”

“If we get dinner and then go to an amusement park then he’ll throw up.”

“Hm... good point.”

“I say you should pull a Kuroo and borrow the list-“

“Oi, Tsuki! You used the list before, so shut up!”

“Imagine using the list...” Tsukishima huffs out a breath of air, “who would do such a thing?”

Iwaizumi clicks his tongue and shakes his head, “that sounds awful.”

“Akaashi-“

“Sorry, the only person I talk to that has used the list is Bokuto,” Akaashi replies in his usual flat tone.

“Alright, I’m hurt. You’ve all wounded me, I’m leaving,” Kuroo says while wiping away a fake tear.

“Good, maybe now we can get some actually good ideas,” Tsukishima replies.

Iwaizumi grins and gives Tsukishima a high-five.

“As much as I like making fun of Kuroo, I really do need ideas,” Akaashi sighs, “we’ve been here for more than an hour.”

“Alright, good to know that I’m hated by everyone,” Kuroo says sarcastically.

“Listen, Akaashi,” Iwaizumi pauses to make sure everyone is listening, “Bokuto is kind of an idiot. Not just that but he’s an idiot in love so he won’t care what it is. Just the fact that you even made-“ Iwaizumi stops talking abruptly, “make him dinner, easy.”

“I’m not as good at cooking as you are, Iwaizumi,” Akaashi points out, “what if it doesn’t turn out good?”

“Dude, Akaashi!” Kuroo exclaims, causing everyone to look at him, “geez, why do you guys look so mad every time I start talking? Anyways, not to be dramatic but you’ve got two of the best cooks in your friend group in this room as we speak, we’ll cook you two a three-course meal!”

“Iwaizumi _is_ good but, contrary to popular belief, I’m not that great at cooking so I don’t know who could possibly be the second person-“

“No, Tsuki! I’m talking about me!”

“Isn’t that kind of... cheating?” Akaashi asks, still unsure.

“Yo, Kuroo used the list for his two year anniversary with Kenma,” Iwaizumi says while waving him off, “you’ll be fine.”

“Sheesh, you’re worse than I thought,” Tsukishima mutters.

“I’m going to ignore that,” Kuroo shoots Tsukishima and Iwaizumi one last glare before turning to Akaashi, “anyways, we could just get here earlier and cook for you.”

Akaashi hums, “ok... fine. Kuroo you’re ok with this but are you, Iwaizumi?”

“Yeah, ok, just let me know ahead of time. I’m free whenever,” Iwaizumi leans his head back on the couch and closes his eyes, “just not today, I’m fucking tired.”

“Wait wasn’t a dinner date literally the _first_ thing I suggested?” Tsukishima speaks up, clearly annoyed.

“Yeah but dinner dates are the easy way out. Like, hear me out, you invite someone to eat at a place where everyone does everything for you, you pay, and you’re out... _making_ dinner takes time and effort,” Kuroo explains, “it shows that you care so this is perfect.”

“... that’s... that’s probably the smartest thing you’ve ever said,” Iwaizumi says.

“Right, so fuck my major in chemical engineering.”

“You haven’t graduated yet,” Tsukishima points out.

“But I will!”

“God, this was so simple... why didn’t we think of this an hour and,” Akaashi pauses to check the time, “seventeen minutes ago?”

“Maybe Iwaizumi’s suggestions were what we needed all along,” Kuroo says in a thoughtful tone.

“Hm... who would’ve thought,” Tsukishima comments, obviously trying to get a rise out of Iwaizumi.

“I’m a good boyfriend, I don’t know why you all act like I have no romantic feelings,” Iwaizumi grumbles, “except Akaashi, he believed in me.”

“Well... not really, I thought you’d be good because you’ve been in a relationship the longest,” Akaashi admits.

Iwaizumi sits up too look at Akaashi, he looks at him in disbelief, “You guys are all assholes.”

After that, things went much smoother. They, Iwaizumi, Kuroo, and Akaashi, came up with an elaborate plan and all Akaashi needed to do now was to give them a time and day. Iwaizumi and Tsukishima left shortly after but Kuroo decided to stay since he practically lives with Kenma and Akaashi at this point.

Although Akaashi only had one job to do, it was still hard for him.

“... Kuroo?”

“Hm?”

Akaashi starts playing with his fingers and looks down at his lap, “I’ve known you for a while right?”

“Mhmm...?”

“So you’re honest with me?”

“Akaashi what are you trying to say?”

“What if this date is... underwhelming? He’s probably had tons of exes so that means he’s been on a lot of dates right?” Akaashi mutters quietly, “I’ve never taken any of my real boyfriends on a date because I didn’t feel like trying before so I don’t know much about this and I just really want him to be as impressed as I am when he takes me out.” 

Kuroo sighs, “please stop overthinking this. You’re fine, Akaashi! It’s like any other date you’ve had with him, only this time you were the one that told him to come. Just call him!”

Akaashi nods slowly, “you’re right.”

“Yeah! As Iwaizumi said, he’ll like anything you do. I mean, he stuck with you even after that whole Aoki situation so-“ Akaashi tenses ever so slightly but Kuroo catches it, “... Akaashi.”

“I haven’t had a chance.”

“Yeah, no shit!” Kuroo exclaims, “you have to _make_ a chance do you understand? Like, there’s no way you can just transition into that topic, you have to do it yourself.”

“Ok,” Akaashi trails off, “... how?”

“Just say: “hey, Bokuto, I need to tell you something” and then go on from there,” Kuroo says it as casually as saying the weather, “you don’t have to have a good conversation transition because there’s no way there could possibly be one.”

Akaashi nods, “I understand.”

“Cool, you’re a smart guy, I trust your judgment. Just do it soon... please,” Kuroo replies.

“Thanks... that was actually kind of helpful.”

“You’re being nice to me... it’s weird.”

“Would you prefer I be mean to you?”

Kuroo shrugs, “I dunno, I was getting used to being the cool older brother figure that annoys his younger brother and is also dating his said brother’s best friend, Kenma, and it annoys him, you, but the older brother, me, doesn’t care because he, me, is cool.”

Akaashi looks at him in disbelief, he kind of looks disgusted, “Is that what you think our dynamic is like?”

“Yep!”

“If I was your sibling, I don’t think I would be sane.”

“Whatever!” Kuroo groans, “when’s Kenma getting here?”

“He should be here any minute now... want me to call him?”

Kuroo shakes his head, “Nah, he’s fine. If he’s not here in three minutes _then_ I’ll call him,” he pauses, a smirk appears on his face, “who we, and by we I mean you, _should_ be calling is Bokuto.”

“Um,” Akaashi blushes, “I’ll call him later.”

“Too late,” Kuroo exclaims as he tosses his phone next to Akaashi.

Akaashi’s eyes widen when he realizes Kuroo’s phone is currently calling Bokuto.

“Wha-“

“Yooooo what’s good?” Bokuto greets loudly.

Akaashi mouths a “fuck you” to Kuroo before clearing his throat.

“Oh, hi,” Akaashi swallows, “it’s actually Akaashi.”

“Oh?” Bokuto sounds confused before going back to his usual happy tone, “Akaashi! Baby, how are you? Why are you calling me with Kuroo’s phone?”

“Baby?” Kuroo whispers with a grin.

Akaashi shoots him his best glare that causes Kuroo to raise his hands in defense, “Uh, I’m good, how are you?”

Kuroo rolls his eyes at Akaashi’s small talk.

“I’m good, I’m good. You’ll never guess what happened just now, this blind dude who I’m pretty sure wasn’t blind just tried to pickpocket me. he asked me to walk him across the street and he put his hand in my pocket so I took out his hand and held it all the way across the street,” Bokuto laughs which causes Akaashi to laugh as well, “anyways, sorry, why are you using Kuroo’s phone?”

“My phone died,” Akaashi replies, he’s still messing with his hands.

“You should charge it! I sent you a picture of a dog I saw this morning,” Bokuto exclaims, “is there a reason you wanted to call me, or could you just not wait till your phone charged to talk to your amazing boyfriend?”

Akaashi blushes, “I have a boyfriend, not an amazing one though.”

“Akaashiii!”

Akaashi laughs softly, “well... actually, Bokuto,” Akaashi pauses when he sees Kenma walk in quietly.

_‘It was bad that Kuroo was in here but two people!?’_

“Yeah?”

“I wanted to uh...”

_‘why am I so nervous? Why am I thinking so negatively? He’s dating me for a reason, no? We’re dating. I think it’s because I’m not used to showing my emotions to people and god do I wish I was better at expressing my emotions. I could be better at that-“_

“Akaashi?”

Akaashi is pulled back into reality, “sorry, Bokuto. Remember when I told you I wanted to plan our next date?”

“Yeah, how could I forget?”

Akaashi averts Kuroo’s gaze the best he can, “well... when are you free?”

“Smooth,” Kuroo whispers encouragingly.

Akaashi rolls his eyes, he sees Kenma’s small smile and he immediately wishes that the two would just go to Kenma’s room or something.

“Oh- I- wow! You really planned something?”

“Do I seem incapable of doing so?”

Bokuto sputters, “no! It’s just that I told you you didn’t have to so I just assumed you wouldn’t!”

Akaashi laughs, “I was joking, you sounded scared.”

“I didn’t want to offend you or anything,” Bokuto explains, “but uh... tomorrow I’m going out with Kuroo, you have classes on Monday and Thursday so let’s not do that... you work full time on Tuesdays and Fridays are for the boys, right?” he jokes, “It’s either Wednesday, Saturday or next Sunday.”

Akaashi looks up at Kuroo for approval.

“Not Saturday,” Kuroo whispers, “hangover.”

Akaashi rolls his eyes but nods, “let’s do Wednesday night?”

“What about your studies, Akaashi?” Bokuto asks, “do you not have to wake up early on Thursday or something?”

“Nah, I have afternoon classes on Thursday.”

“Ok! Cool, then it’s set!” Bokuto exclaims, “so... what are we doing?”

“It’s a surprise,” Akaashi replies with a smile.

“Akaashi! You know that it’s all I’ll be thinking about now, that’s not fair!”

“You’ll just have to wait and see,” Akaashi’s smile is gone as soon as he sees Kuroo and Kenma share a look that translates to “look at Akaashi! He’s so gross with his boyfriend but he’s finally dating someone so it’s cute!”, “hey, Kuroo wants his phone back. I’ll text you later when my phone is charged, yeah?”

“Okay, Akaashi!” Bokuto exclaims, he sounds way more pumped up than at the beginning of the call, “I’m so excited!”

“Me too,” Akaashi replies honestly, “bye, Bokuto.”

“Bye, ‘Kaashi!”

When Akaashi hangs up, Kuroo is staring at him with a grin, “Akaashi... you’re whipped!”

Kenma smiles, “Bokuto is not much better off either.”

Akaashi rolls his eyes, “You two have no say in this when Kuroo never fails to mention you at least once and Kenma is always buying random shit for you just because “it reminds me of Kuroo”.”

Kuroo sputters with a blush while Kenma hides his face behind his phone.

Akaashi can’t help but smirk at his friends’ embarrassment.

•••

Wednesday comes by slowly and quickly all at once. It depends on who you are really.

For Bokuto, Wednesday was taking way too long. Every time he wasn’t distracted with something, his mind would drift back to his upcoming date.   


(Akaashi, give me a clue!” Bokuto whined.

“No,” Akaashi would reply, praying that his nervousness would not show in his voice.)

For Akaashi, Wednesday came too quickly. He could’ve sworn it was just yesterday when he had three of his worst friends to get dating advice from, in his living room, giving him exactly that.

“Kenma...”

“Hm?”

“I don’t think I can do this,” Akaashi mumbles, he’s laying on the couch and this time, miraculously, it’s just him and Kenma, “our apartment is nice but it’s not “bring-your-boyfriend-to-have-a-romantic-dinner-with-you” nice.”

Kenma rolls his eyes, “Bokuto’s apartment is not that either but that’s where you spend most of your days at.”

Akaashi blushes, “he’s never set up a romantic dinner for me there though.”

Kenma shrugs, “listen, you’ll be fine... if you want to make the apartment nicer then go ahead.”

“I don’t think I’ll have time and I don’t know how.”

Kenma purses his lips, “... I know who you need.”

Akaashi quirks an eyebrow, “oh... who?”

“Just don’t word it as “I need a favor” and you’re good. Say, “come over and do this for me please” but just try to not inflate his ego, Iwaizumi will kill you,” Akaashi knows exactly who he’s talking about, “you’re going to need Oikawa.”

Akaashi makes a face, “no.”

It’s not that Oikawa is a bad person or that they don’t like him, it’s just that Oikawa’s ego can be inflated with ease. Akaashi doesn’t like asking people for favors and asking Oikawa for a favor is like paying someone to remind you of everything you’ve ever asked them for, over and over again.

“I think I’ll be fine-“

“Akaashi, you’re a perfectionist and I know you won’t be ok for the rest of the night if the apartment doesn’t look how you want it to,” Kenma interrupts, “you deserve to have a good night tonight so just do it.”

_‘He speaks so quietly and casually, I don’t think he’s aware of how harsh or Impactful his words can be.’_

“... ok.”

Bokuto was meant to arrive at six P.M. which meant that Iwaizumi and Kuroo would start cooking at three since they really meant it when they said they’d cook a three-course meal. Surprisingly, the two got to Akaashi and Kenma’s apartment a couple of minutes before three with all the ingredients needed.

“I can’t thank you two enough,” Akaashi says as he lets them in, it was a miracle that Kuroo was actually somewhere on time, especially early, “seriously.”

“No problem,” Iwaizumi replies politely.

“Yeah, this is what friends are for, man,” Kuroo replies as his eyes dart around the apartment.

“Kenma is doing a Livestream, if you had Twitter you’d know,” Iwaizumi places down the groceries on the counter and signals Kuroo to do the same, “oh, and, Akaashi?”

“Yes?”

“Leave the door unlocked, Oikawa is downstairs, he’s bringing stuff up here. He was taking too long so we just left him. Please, don’t be as kind to him.”

Kuroo smirks, “he’s carrying a table, I hope he hasn’t broken a bone~”

“Man, you suck,” Iwaizumi mumbles.

“You guys both suck, why would you guys just leave him?” Akaashi doesn’t sound too concerned though, his voice is as flat as usual, “why is he bringing a table?”

Iwaizumi sighs, putting away groceries that he doesn’t need yet, “according to him, he has a vision.”

_‘This was a bad idea.’_

“The fact that I had a strong man with me and he didn’t help should be a crime!”

The three turn to look at Oikawa who is struggling to get in because the door isn’t all the way open. Akaashi goes to him and holds the door so that he can come in.

“This means one of us isn’t a strong man,” Kuroo thinks out loud.

Iwaizumi looks at Kuroo up and down before a grin appears on his face, “sorry you had to find out this way.”

“Asshole,” Kuroo mumbles as he washes his hands.

Akaashi rolls his eyes, “so, Oikawa... what’s the table for?”

“If you haven’t noticed, it’s a round table,” Oikawa says proudly.

“... yeah... that it is.”

Oikawa scoffs, “Akaashi, act more excited about this!”

Akaashi looks at him stone-faced, “wow! A round table instead of a square one! You really outdid yourself!”

“You sarcastic little-“ Oikawa takes a deep breath, “Akaashi, dear~” his change of tone always makes Akaashi uneasy, “I’ve got a box downstairs with a white tablecloth, candles, some LED string lights, nice plates, champagne glasses, silverware, fancy little napkins, a vase, and a single rose. Round tables are always more romantic, Akaashi! get a clue~”

Akaashi’s eyebrows raise, he chooses to ignore that last bit, “That’s a lot.”

“It’s romantic though right?” Oikawa exclaims, “Cute?”

Akaashi nods and that alone makes Oikawa’s smile become bigger.

“Iwaizumi stop making heart eyes at your boyfriend and let’s do this,” Kuroo says suddenly, making Akaashi and Oikawa turn to look at the two other men.

“Gross, I would never.”

“It’s just staring! Why are you so mean, Iwa-chan!?”

•••

Akaashi won’t admit several things but he will admit one:

_‘Oikawa is kind of, and I mean KIND OF, a genius??’_

The two had spent the past hours decorating the apartment. Oikawa and Akaashi had hung the string lights to the ceiling so that when the lights are off there would be a warm glow surrounding the couple. The table was easy to set up so while Oikawa did that, Akaashi got ready. All Akaashi needed to do was light up some candles Oikawa had strategically put around the apartment.

“Oikawa...”

“Yes, Akaashi?”

The two were standing back to admire their work.

“This is... really...” Akaashi sees an excited, expecting look on Oikawa’s face that means he should stop talking immediately.

_‘I hate complimenting Oikawa, it’s rare so he always acts so excited for no reason and then boasts about it for the next couple of months.’_

“... uh... it’s ok.”

“Nice save, Akaashi,” Kenma comments sarcastically.

“I hate it here,” Oikawa pouts, “but no, I get it! Thank you, Akaashi, I know I’m amazing, huh?”

“I didn’t say that-“

“He didn’t say that,” Iwaizumi says at the same time.

“Iwa-channn! Whose side are you on?”

“Not yours.”

“Whelp!” Kuroo claps his hands, “We should go now, it’s five thirty-something,” Kuroo says as he leans on the counter. He smirks, “now remember, Akaashi, I’ve left condoms in the-“

“Ok, please leave,” Akaashi interrupts.

Iwaizumi laughs, “we’ll see you later, Akaashi. Good luck!”

Oikawa gives Akaashi a hug, “you got this!”

“Let’s go, Kenma,” Kuroo says to the smaller man who is now standing up from his spot on the couch, “we’re taking this opportunity to go on a date, I got reservations.”

“Aw cute! Are you going from McDonald’s to Panera Bread?” Oikawa asks teasingly.

“Why do you guys think I have no money whatsoever?” The disbelief is evident in Kuroo’s voice, “no, I got reservations at a nice restaurant.”

“You’re not using the list again now are you?” Kenma asks.

“Not you too, Kenma!”

As Kenma walks past Akaashi, he pats him in the back as if to say “you got this”.

Akaashi laughs, “no but seriously, thank you, guys. I really couldn’t have done this without you all.”

The four other men smile at him which makes Akaashi feel uneasy.

“What?”

“Nothing, you just seem happier,” Kenma replies.

Akaashi opens his mouth to say something but he is interrupted by a knock at the door.

Iwaizumi is closest to the door so he checks who it is. The look on his face could only mean one thing.

“Shit, it’s Bokuto,” Iwaizumi whispers the quietest he can.

Akaashi wants to die, “hide in the kitchen, crouch down, I’ll lead him into the living room and then you guys can get out.”

Everyone scurries behind a counter in the middle of the kitchen to hide. Oikawa and Kuroo’s giggling makes Akaashi regret being nice to them today.

_‘The kitchen is right next to the door, this is going to be hard.’_

Akaashi opens the door slowly and sure enough, Bokuto is right behind the door.

“You’re early.”

“Hello to you too Akaashi,” Bokuto greets with a grin, “sorry, I came earlier in case I got lost but it seems like I found your apartment quicker than I thought I would.”

“Sorry, come in,” Akaashi replies nervously, “you’re okay.”

Bokuto looks at the lights on the ceiling and if he wasn’t already absolutely floored by Akaashi before, he most certainly was now, “Akaashi... this looks nice! you look nice.”

Akaashi blushes, “thank you... you do too.”

Bokuto turns to Akaashi, his smile still on his face, “Uh... I almost forgot I got you flowers.”

Akaashi hadn’t even noticed that Bokuto did, in fact, have a bouquet of flowers in his hand.

“They’re sunflowers and lilacs,” Bokuto says as he hands Akaashi the bouquet, “the- the uh sunflowers mean adoration and lilacs they -they mean the beginning of love or something, like... a new relationship...”

Akaashi smiles at Bokuto, “thank you.”

Bokuto’s face becomes redder than before, “yeah, Akaashi... no problem.”

Akaashi can feel his cheeks warm when he sees, what he assumes is, Kuroo and Oikawa’s arm come out from behind the counter to give him a thumbs up. Iwaizumi pops his head out from behind the counter and makes a face that obviously means “Akaashi, please let us leave already”.

“So what’d you cook? It smells good in here-“ Bokuto turns to the kitchen which causes Akaashi to have a tiny heart attack. He pulls Bokuto down to kiss him instead. “Oh,” Bokuto mumbles against his lips.

Akaashi feels like he’s sweating and hell, he may be at this point, who knows? He wraps his arms around Bokuto’s neck and makes a sign to his friends behind Bokuto’s back. He kisses Bokuto until he thinks his friends are gone but just before he pulls back, Bokuto beats him to it.

“As much as I like kissing you, Akaashi,” Bokuto mumbles, “the food is gonna get cold, no?”

Akaashi nods slowly, “yeah... ok... let me put the flowers in water, take a seat. What do you want to drink?”

Bokuto nods happily, “I’ll drink whatever you’re drinking.”

Akaashi walks to the kitchen, praying that his friends were no longer there. The sigh of relief he lets out when he sees that they’re gone is a little too loud but he can’t find it in himself to care one bit.

When he comes back with drinks in hand, Bokuto is at the table playing with the petals of the rose that Oikawa brought, “so are we not gonna talk about the fact that four of our mutual friends were hiding in your kitchen or...?”

_‘Bokuto, you have your on and off days when it comes to noticing details... why today?’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you’re enjoying this wholesome friendship/Bokuaka content! I’m going to write more about the date next chapter and we’ll finally see Bokuto hanging out with the friend group. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed!


	11. All Your Love - Jakob Ogawa + 3005 - Childish Gambino

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akaashi tries to tell Bokuto the truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Both in Akaashi’s POV. I think the All Your Love fits the current situation pretty well.
> 
> “And I look ahead  
> Although some things remains unsaid  
> There are times we tend  
> To play along although we're wrong”
> 
> I mean... c’mon...
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

To say Akaashi is nervous is a huge understatement.

_‘I’m going to tell him.’_

Akaashi is currently washing the dishes while Bokuto cleans up the table. Akaashi didn’t want Bokuto to do anything but he insisted. He’s been lost in his own thoughts for a couple of minutes now; the soft music that plays in the background makes it easy to slip into this state of mind. It isn’t until Bokuto wraps his arms around Akaashi’s waist that Akaashi snaps out of it.

“Are you a parking ticket? Because you got fine written all over you.”

“Jesus-“ Akaashi manages to get out before laughing, “that was bad.”

“What? I’m smooth as hell, Akaashi,” Bokuto whines, “you know, it’s your fault I couldn’t show off my skills around you.”

“Is that so?”Akaash asks, “and how exactly is it my fault that you suck at flirting, Bokuto?”

Bokuto sputters for a second before composing himself, “you were too hot! I got nervous!”

Akaashi feels his face flush which causes Bokuto to grin and close his eyes. He kisses Akaashi’s cheek before burying his face in the crook of his neck.

“Thank you for food, it was really good, Akaashi,” Bokuto mumbles against his shoulder.

Akaashi feels his heart swell, “no problem.”

_‘Iwaizumi and Kuroo did outdo themselves, I need to pay for their food next time we go out to eat.’_

Bokuto hums and sways Akaashi to the beat of whatever song is currently playing, “I’m sleepy now, I ate too much.”

“Me too.”

Bokuto kisses Akaashi’s temple, “c’mon, you can do this later.”

Akaashi hates how easy Bokuto can convince him to do things because without even thinking, he’s nodding his head and letting himself be pulled to the couch. The two lie on the couch with Akaashi under Bokuto’s arm, Akaashi reaches for a blanket Kenma and him keep nearby and puts it over them.

“Wanna watch something?” Bokuto asks.

“Sure, but I’m not going to be able to stay awake,” Akaashi replies with a yawn.

“Same,” Bokuto admits, “you pick.”

Akaashi nods as he grabs the remote. There is comfortable, sleepy silence as Akaashi goes through Netflix, trying to find something they haven’t watched already.

“Bokuto,” Akaashi whispers without thinking.

“Hm?”

Akaashi can feel his breath quickening ever so slightly but it’s enough for Bokuto to get worried.

“You ok, Akaashi?”

Akaashi nods, “yeah I just... I wanted to talk to you about something.”

Bokuto tenses, “oh?”

“I’m not breaking up with you, Bokuto.”

Akaashi can feel him relax, “pshhhh! yeah, I didn’t think that!”

_‘you might want to after this though.’_

Akaashi let’s out a breathy laugh, “so... Bokuto.”

“Yes, dear?”

_‘Dear.’_

Akaashi can feel his heart clench, “uh... I... I don’t expect you to be understanding...”

Akaashi drifts offwhen Bokuto lifts his chin up so that he can look at him, “Akaashi, relax.”

Akaashi takes in a shaky breath, “sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Bokuto gives him a small smile, “so what is it?” 

Akaashi’s mind blanks, “I- uh... my- my friends want you to come over on Friday.”

_‘You’re such an idiot Keiji, holy shit-‘_

Bokuto furrows his eyebrows but there’s a smile on his face, “why wouldn’t I be understanding?”

Akaashi just shrugs which makes Bokuto shake his head.

“Akaashi, don’t worry. I’d love to hang out with you and _our_ friends.”

Akaashi can feel himself flush, “you’re making me feel stupid.”

“Noooo,” Bokuto says as he hugs Akaashi tighter, “you could never be stupid, Akaashi!”

Akaashi rolls his eyes but lets himself be embraced by Bokuto.

“I have to do something with one of my teammates though, I’ll probably get there late into the night.”

Akaashi hums, “it’s fine, just as long as you get there.”

Bokuto smiles, Akaashi can’t see him but he knows Bokuto is smiling, “that was cute, ‘Kaashi.”

“Shut up,” Akaashi mutters as his face goes red for the hundredth time that night, to be honest, he has lost count.

“... cute.”

•••

“Bokuto is on his way,” Akaashi announces.

“Gwah! What the hell! This is so exciting!” Hinata exclaims, obviously pumped.

“Didn’t you _just_ have practice with him?” Tsukishima asks with a frown.

“Yeah but he’s cool!”

Kuroo rolls his eyes, “I just hope he doesn’t make out with Akaashi in my line of vision.”

“Yeah, watching you two make out on Wednesday was like watching my annoying, mean, younger brother make out with someone,” Oikawa says.

“I- does everyone just see me as their brother?”

Kageyama nods, “Akaashi is the older sibling you go to for advice because he’s wise.”

“He’s like the older brother that has moved out from home and knows everything,” Yamaguchi pipes up.

“Honestly, when I saw you and Bokuto kiss, I didn’t know whether I should’ve been proud, pulled you guys apart and given you the talk, or close my eyes,” Iwaizumi admits.

“I hate all of you.”

“Even me?” Hinata asks.

Akaashi feels bad, “no. not you.”

“How about me?” Yamaguchi asks.

“Never.”

“Me?” 

“Especially you, Kuroo.”

“Wha- Kenma, get your friend.”

Kenma looks up from his phone, “I’d rather not, he’s got a point.”

“Kenma!”

“I don’t understand why you’re all so mean to Kuroo,” Kageyama says, “he’s kind of coo-“

“Shut up,” Tsukishima interrupts, “Do you _know_ how big his ego can get? Is this what you want?”

“No, wait! Let him finish!” Kuroo pleads.

“Kuroo is ok I guess... but nothing excuses the way he lives,” Oikawa huffs, “that’s just unacceptable.”

Kuroo was hosting this week too. This wouldn’t usually happen but the fact that Bokuto was coming and he was closer to him made them all decide to have it again at his apartment. You know, to be polite and all.

“I am _not_ having this conversation again,” Kuroo huffs, “but, Kags! What were you saying?”

“Please don’t do it, Kageyama,” Kenma pleads.

Kageyama’s eyes widen at Kenma’s requests and he nods slowly.

“Seems like he likes Kenma better,” Tsukishima comments with a smirk.

“I don’t think I blame him,” Iwaizumi mutters before taking a sip of the cheap beer Kuroo keeps in his house.

“I can't believe I’m going to agree with Iwa-chan right now,” Oikawa mutters.

“You agreed to be my boyfriend though.”

“Awww!” Yamaguchi and Hinata simultaneously cry out.

Oikawa sputters as a blush takes over his face, “stupid, Iwa-chan.”

“I hate happy couples,” Kuroo groans.

“What are we then?” Kenma asks with a raised eyebrow.

“A happy couple that isn’t gross!”

“I just hope Akaashi and Bokuto aren’t like this,” Kageyama mutters.

“Knowing how Bokuto is...” Tsukishima drifts off.

“So we’re just going to ignore you and Yamaguchi’s relationship?” Akaashi retorts.

“This is why we can’t do a couples tier list, you guys are already arguing,” Kenma mutters.

“I expected more from Akaashi,” Iwaizumi laughs.

“Tipsy Akaashi!” Kuroo exclaims, “Tipsy Akaashi always joins the conversation.”

“Uh... Yeah, I’m still not used to that,” Yamaguchi shivers, “it’s weird that you know his and Oikawa’s stages of drunkenness.”

“I know yours too, freckles-kun,” Kuroo grins, “wanna hear?”

“What the hell...” Tsukishima is staring at Kuroo in disbelief, “you’re so weird.”

“Wait! No! Do me!” Hinata exclaims excitedly.

“I gotchu-“

“Please stop. This is disturbing,” Akaashi mumbles.

Kuroo opens his mouth but is interrupted by a knock at the door; everyone’s head practically snaps to look at the place the sound came from.

“Go answer the door, Akaashi,” Kuroo says.

“I would’ve done it if you asked me more politely,” Akaashi retorts with a glare.

“He’s your boyfriend!”

“And he’s your best friend and this is your apartment.”

Kuroo purses his lips, “good point.”

As soon as Kuroo opens the door, Bokuto walks in and for the first time anyone else has seen, he completely ignores Kuroo and heads straight to someone else.

“Agaassshii!” Bokuto exclaims. Kenma scoots away from Akaashi because he knows what’s coming. It takes Akaashi off guard but Bokuto gives him the biggest hug he’s ever received, “I missed you!”

“I saw you two nights ago, Bokuto.”

“Two nights is too long!”

Everyone, but Akaashi and Bokuto, stares at Kuroo who has a huge smile on his face, he gives a thumbs up before he wipes away a fake tear. Bokuto sits next to Akaashi and starts saying hi to everyone. 

_‘the way he brightens up an already bright room even more... it never ceases to amaze me,’_ Akaashi thinks as he stares at Bokuto who is currently asking Tsukishima a bunch of questions.

Oikawa looks up at Akaashi from his spot on the floor, he also has a small smile on his face.

“You asshole, what are you thinking?” Iwaizumi asks him quietly.

“Huh? Why do you think my smiles mean something bad?” Oikawa asks as he turns to look at Iwaizumi, he now has a frown.

Iwaizumi shrugs before taking another sip of his beer, he wipes his mouth with the back of his hand before looking at Oikawa, “so, why were you smiling?”

Oikawa goes back to staring at the new couple, “I’m happy for Akaashi. He deserved a win... they’re cute,” he pauses when everyone around them starts to laugh at something Bokuto said; Akaashi’s laughter being louder than usual. Oikawa sighs and looks at Iwaizumi, “disgustingly so.”

•••

Akaashi decides not to drink anymore, he knows how he gets when he’s drunk (and apparently Kuroo does too). He’ll talk about anything and everything that’s been bothering him. Everyone else in the room is ok with it but the thought of Bokuto finding out about his ex-business in a room full of people that think the world of him is scary.

“That's so dumb,” Tsukishima groans.

“No but like... really, really think about it, where would you feel the pain?” Bokuto asks.

Kuroo seems deep in thought as do Kageyama and Hinata.

“Stop, you’re making me confused,” Oikawa mutters as he also slips into a state of deep thought.

“Obviously on that part where you just got it cut off,” Iwaizumi says, clearly not impressed.

“How would you know? You’ve never had a limb torn off,” Kageyama mumbles.

“But like...” Bokuto asks, “if your leg gets cut off then where do you feel the pain? Not on your leg so where?”

Kuroo immediately snaps out of his trancelike state and smacks Bokuto on the head, “You made me look like an idiot! Iwaizumi is right! The air hitting your flesh would hurt and your nerves would be the ones in pain idiot! Also, the nerves in your legs are also connected to the lower part of your back so you’d also get back pains if your leg was cut off!”

“You’re really starting to sound like a serial killer, Kuroo,” Yamaguchi mutters.

“The fact that four of you actually got confused by what he said is what’s really hurting the most right now,” Kenma says with a sigh.

“Exactly,” Akaashi rubs his temples.

“Wait, wait, wait, but...” Hinata pauses, clearly still thinking about it.

“There’s nothing to think about, he just solved it!” Kageyama yells at Hinata.

Hinata looks at him and glares.

“Please, please, _please_ don’t make out in my apartment,” Kuroo begs.

“I don’t know why anyone would want to make out in an apartment with two sofas, a coffee table, and a television on the floor,” Tsukishima comments.

“Yeah, if I didn’t know any better I’d say this is a greasy straight guy’s apartment,” Oikawa adds, wrinkling his nose.

“Don’t worry, bro, I like your apartment!” Bokuto chirps.

“Bro...”

“Bro!”

“Bro.”

“Bro?”

“If this continues, I’m out,” Tsukishima says.

“I think I’m actually about to leave,” Bokuto stretches, “it’s like... four something.”

Akaashi nods, “same, I’m about to fall asleep, are you spending the night, Kenma?”

Kenma nods with a yawn.

“Bless you, really, I could never do it,” Oikawa raises his cup at Kenma.

“I think it’s cool how you manage to live in a place like this,” Kageyama says, he gives Kuroo a quick, awkward smile when he notices that everyone is staring at him.

“I know you didn’t mean anything by that comment but I still don’t know how to react.”

“If Kageyama gets on your head then you should just give up on life,” Bokuto says in awe.

“Wait, why haven’t you gotten a job yet? All we do is make fun of you so why not just get one to shut us up?” Iwaizumi asks Kuroo.

“I don’t know where I should work,” Kuroo replies, “I _refuse_ to work at a grocery store. I hate dealing with old people.”

“There are more jobs than that!” Bokuto exclaims, “You could try getting a job at Akaashi’s job!”

The word job and his name in one sentence is never a good move, it usually leads to the discussion of Akaashi’s side business.

“Hm, I think I’ll make a YouTube video soon.”

Akaashi sees Hinata open his mouth which immediately makes his fight or flight instincts kick in.

Flight it is.

“No offense to you guys but I’m about to pass out, I need to go home,” Akaashi speaks up, he yawns which isn’t entirely fake.

“You can stay here,” Kuroo offers.

“Akaashi, do yourself a favor and don’t do that,” Hinata says with a snicker.

_‘Yep... they’re all drunk.’_

“Drunk Hinata,” Kuroo mumbles as he clutches his chest.

“Yeah, I wasn’t planning on it, I don’t want to sleep on the floor,” Akaashi replies teasingly.

“You can stay at mine! It's down the street!” Bokuto exclaims.

“He probably knows,” Kenma says with a small smirk.

Akaashi can feel himself blush, he can practically hear everyone in the room’s brain start to process this information so that they can make a joke. Akaashi turns his attention to Bokuto and nods. The way Bokuto’s face lights up makes Akaashi’s heart flutter. The two say their goodbyes to everyone very quickly since Akaashi looks very sleepy.

“Wear protection!” Oikawa shouts once the two are out the door.

The two blush, they stand in silence for a couple of seconds after the door closes and Akaashi can’t help the sigh that leaves him, “sorry... he’s just the worst.”

Bokuto laughs, “He’s chill.”

The two walks in silence, at first it’s kind of awkward but once the two are a bit closer to Bokuto’s apartment, Bokuto holds his hand and all the tension is gone.

“Uh... Akaashi,” Bokuto says suddenly.

“Yes?”

“We don’t have to do anything right now since you’re so tired but Oikawa said something about protection and I thought I’d just let you know that I got all the stuff we need for... you know... so... whenever you’re ready, I’m ready.”

Akaashi can feel himself blush, his grip on Bokuto becomes tighter than before and feels a bit lightheaded.

“Oh, are you ok?” Bokuto asks worriedly.

“I’m fine, it was just sudden,” Akaashi looks at Bokuto who is about to open his mouth, “not in a bad way,” he interrupts, “just thought you had forgotten about it.”

Bokuto shakes his head and a devilish grin spreads across his face, “how could I?”

Akaashi can feel his face flush, _‘This man is going to be the death of me.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I’m so sorry this chapter is so short, I still hope you were able to enjoy it! 
> 
> Next chapter is going to be an interesting one...


	12. Hooked On a Feeling - Blue Swede + The Less I Know The Better - Tame Impala + Earfquake - Tyler The Creator

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bokuto and Akaashi have a good morning and Akaashi tries to tell Bokuto the truth.
> 
> Keyword: Tries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING:  
> I wrote smut and I haven’t written smut in so long so please bear with me. If you don’t want to read it, it begins at:
> 
> Bokuto lets out a boisterous laugh, he pulls Akaashi away slightly....
> 
> and it ends at:
> 
> The two sit in silence for a couple of minutes, trying to catch their breath
> 
> Hooked On A Feeling: both
> 
> The Less I Know The Better: Bokuto
> 
> Earfquake: Akaashi
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter!!!

Akaashi wakes up at six A.M. It’s the time he’s always woken up at and sometimes he doesn’t know if it’s a blessing or a curse.

Today, it is definitely a curse.

Bokuto’s arm is wrapped around his waist and Akaashi can feel his breath on his neck.

_‘I really have to pee.’_

Akaashi carefully lifts Bokuto’s arm and slips out as quickly and quietly as possible.

As he walks to the bathroom he can’t help thinking about the night before. Bokuto was so tired that as soon as Akaashi was in bed with him, he wrapped his arms around him and pulled him close, murmuring a “good night” before falling asleep.

Akaashi had never fallen asleep so fast. 

_‘I need to shower, I don’t think Bokuto will mind,’_ Akaashi thinks as he finishes doing what he went to the bathroom for in the first place.

Akaashi opens up a cabinet which he assumes has towels inside - he’s right. Akaashi usually showers quickly but today, once he’s done washing, he closes his eyes and lets the warm water hit his face. Akaashi likes showers, he likes being clean, what he doesn’t like about showers is the fact that you’re alone with your thoughts for a while. His thoughts go everywhere, from thinking about needing to call his mom soon to his friends and what they should do later this week. The one topic that stays consistent is Bokuto.

‘I’ll tell him during breakfast,’ Akaashi decides, _‘he’ll understand, he just has to listen to my whole story.’_

Akaashi takes a deep breath and exhales as he turns off the water. He takes his time drying himself, especially his hair. After putting on the hoodie and pair of shorts Bokuto let him borrow, he stares at himself in the mirror. The steam from the shower doesn’t allow him to truly look at himself save for the parts where drops have trickled down. Akaashi can kind of see his eyes.

“You can do it, Keiji,” Akaashi whispers, he can see the slightest hint of anxiety in his eyes so he takes another deep breath before he opens the door and walks out as quietly as possible.

“Akaashi?” Bokuto calls out, his voice sounds gravelly which gives Akaashi the impression that he has just woken up.

“Yes?” Akaashi responds as he walks back to Bokuto’s room, he was going to make breakfast but now that Bokuto is awake Akaashi wants to see him.

 _‘his morning voice is so nice,’_ Akaashi can’t help but think.

Bokuto is lying on his side, facing the door, with the blankets up to his chin, “Akaashiiii,” Bokuto whines, “I thought you left!”

“I wouldn’t leave without saying anything, Bokuto,” Akaashi says.

“What are you doing up so early anyway? It’s Saturday, come back to bed,” Bokuto mumbles before yawning.

Akaashi sits on the edge of the bed, next to Bokuto, “I wake up pretty early so I was going to make breakfast-“

“Akaashi, you’re so sweet but I just want to stay in bed with you until nine or ten,” Bokuto admits, he uncovers himself and reaches out for Akaashi’s waist and pulls him down, “c’mon, baby, please?”

Akaashi can’t help but blush at Bokuto’s words as he complies and lets himself be pulled down by Bokuto. Akaashi turns to face Bokuto completely once he’s lying down.

“Good morning,” Akaashi whispers.

“Good morning,” Bokuto replies as he gives Akaashi’s nose a peck.

Akaashi can’t help giggling, “you’re so weird.”

“Maybe,” Bokuto mumbles as he pulls Akaashi closer to him.

Bokuto rests his chin on top of Akaashi’s head and Akaashi can’t help but sigh, content with his current situation as their legs get tangled up.

“You smell good,” Bokuto comments after a couple of seconds of silence.

There’s no way Akaashi can fall asleep but his eyes are closed to enjoy the situation, “I smell like you, Bokuto.”

“That’s true,” Bokuto mutters, “then that means I smell pretty good.”

“As much as I hate to feed into your ego, you’re right,” Akaashi replies.

Bokuto has his arms wrapped around his body and Akaashi has his wrapped around Bokuto’s waist. He can’t help but snuggle into Bokuto’s chest.

“You’re so cute, Akaashi,” Bokuto says suddenly as one of his hands start to massage Akaashi’s scalp.

“Thanks,” Akaashi mumbles, clearly embarrassed.

Bokuto lets out a boisterous laugh, he pulls Akaashi away slightly, without moving his arms, and tugs his hair slightly to make him lookup. Akaashi gasps and Bokuto takes this chance to kiss him. The kiss is slow, a little lazy but passionate nonetheless. Bokuto has his tongue in Akaashi’s mouth fast but he’s not rough; he’s not quick once he’s inside. Bokuto is slow, taking his time to explore Akaashi.

Akaashi can’t help the soft moan that comes out him when Bokuto shifts his legs, his thigh had brushed against Akaashi’s dick.

Bokuto pulls away, his lips red and his breathing uneven, “Akaashi... fuck, do you want this?” Akaashi nods uncharacteristically fast to which Bokuto can’t help but giggle at, “Akaashi, you’re so cute!”

“I’m going to get up and leave,” Akaashi threatens but there’s no real malice in his tone.

“You wouldn’t,” Bokuto says with a smile, “Hey, let’s do what we were doing the other night.”

“What do you mean?”

Bokuto sits up and Akaashi follows his lead. When Bokuto leans back on the headboard and stares at him expectantly, it suddenly hits Akaashi that Bokuto wants him to straddle him. Akaashi feels his cheeks warm up as he straddles his thighs; he averts his gaze from Bokuto’s eyes, not wanting to make eye contact.

Bokuto realizes Akaashi’s shyness and lifts up his chin with his thumb, “you’re so hot, Akaashi,” Akaashi blushes even more but this time he doesn’t look away.

Bokuto kisses Akaashi softly as he puts his hands on Akaashi’s hips and moves him against his dick. Bokuto groans against Akaashi’s mouth while Akaashi gasps.

“Bokuto,” Akaashi whispers when Bokuto breaks the kiss to start kissing his jaw.

Bokuto leaves a trail of kisses down his neck before coming back up to Akaashi’s pulse to make a hickey; Akaashi gasps. Akaashi’s hands trail under Bokuto’s shirt and Bokuto breaks away to take it off. Before the shirt can even hit the floor, Bokuto is back to Akaashi’s neck.

“Koutarou,” Akaashi moans when Bokuto thrusts up against him. Bokuto lets out a groan and squeezes Akaashi’s hips as he starts moving against him even harder, “Koutaro, fuck-“

“F-fuck- wait,” Bokuto stops Akaashi’s hips and takes a deep breath, “Sorry, I just... I don’t want to cum in my sweatpants and... uh... I really want to fuck you, if you want, of course, I’m not forcing you-“

“Koutarou,” Akaashi interrupts, Bokuto swallows at the use of his name, “I think it’s very obvious that I want to so please stop talking and get inside me.”

If Bokuto wasn’t hard, he definitely was now, “ok, let me take off my pants and get the stuff. Take off your clothes.”

Akaashi feels a shiver down his spine before he rolls off of him and takes off the shorts and hoodie he was wearing as quickly as possible. He struggles a bit but once they’re off, he turns to look at Bokuto who has a condom and lube in one hand while the other is palming himself through his sweatpants.

“Sorry, fuck, you’re so just so hot, Keiji,” Bokuto sighs in pleasure before tossing the supplies next to Akaashi so that he can take off his pants.

Akaashi breathes in shakily at Bokuto’s comment before he grabs the lube and starts coating two of his fingers with it. Once he thinks it’s enough (it’s been a while), he pushes one slowly into himself. Although it’s not much, the feeling of _something_ inside of him feels good already. Akaashi let’s out a whimper as he starts to stretch himself out enough for the second finger.

“You’re going to kill me,” Bokuto huffs out, causing Akaashi to look at him.

 _‘he’s big,’_ Akaashi thinks as his breathing gets uneven; the feeling of the second finger, Bokuto’s voice, and Bokuto’s dick were the reasons for that. 

“Fuck, Koutarou, please come do it,” Akaashi pleads as he takes out his fingers; Bokuto nods and quickly grabs the lube.

Bokuto fumbles with the bottle but once it’s opened, he coats his fingers with a generous amount. “I don’t want to hurt you,” he explains as he slips two fingers into Akaashi.

“Ah-“ Akaashi yelps at the change of size. Bokuto looks up, eyes full of concern, “you’re good.”

Bokuto nods and thrusts his fingers in and out of Akaashi, it’s slow but he thrusts in deep and hard, making Akaashi moan. Bokuto shifts his angle; Akaashi’s face and gasp let him now that he’s found his prostate.Bokuto moves up and puts the head of Akaashi’s dick in his mouth as he pushes in a third finger. His pace quickens, causing Akaashi to let out a moan. This continues until Akaashi’s toes are curling and his grip on the blankets tightens.

“Fuck- I- Koutarou I’m gonna-“

Akaashi groans in disappointment when Bokuto pulls away from him and takes out his fingers.

“Sorry, Keiji. I’d rather you cum on my cock,” Bokuto says shakily as he grabs the condom, “you want that?”

Akaashi nods frantic, he’s still lying on his back but his arm is covering his face. Bokuto knows he’s blushing, “can I- can I ride you?”

“I- holy shit, yeah,” Bokuto stammers, he can’t help stroking himself before sitting on his bed, back against the headboard.

Akaashi climbs onto his lap, he holds Bokuto’s dick in one hand while balancing himself with the other; he’s holding onto Bokuto’s shoulder. Bokuto grabs his hips to help him the best he can. When the tip is finally inside, Bokuto’s grip tightens as he groans. Akaashi takes a deep breath before moving down again.

“Keiji,” Bokuto whispers as he presses his forehead against Akaashi’s.

They haven’t even truly started and Akaashi’s mind already feels like mush. Bokuto is big, he’s not even all the way in yet and Akaashi already feels the fullest he’s ever been. Akaashi takes a deep breath and let’s go of Bokuto, slamming all the way down.

“Fuck!” Bokuto yells, his grip on Akaashi’s hips tighten even more and Akaashi can already tell there will be bruises tomorrow. Akaashi is also breathing hard, he kisses Bokuto softly to calm him down. Once Bokuto isn’t breathing as hard as before, Akaashi speaks.

“You ready?”

Bokuto nods slowly before kissing Akaashi’s forehead, “you’re gorgeous.”

Akaashi smiles as he wraps his arms around Bokuto’s neck, “you are too.”

Akaashi rolls his hips down and does circular motions that make Bokuto throw his head back, a moan comes out of him, making Akaashi smirk. He lifts himself up and lets himself drop, Bokuto can’t help but moan even louder than before so Akaashi does it again until he finds a rhythm. It’s slower than what Akaashi is used to but Bokuto is in deep no matter what. It’s lazy, it’s sweet.

“Next time,” Akaashi mumbles against Bokuto’s lips, “I want to suck you off.”

Bokuto can’t help the curse that comes out of him and the way his hips thrust up. Akaashi lets out a moan and Bokuto smiles knowing exactly what his boyfriend wants. He brings Akaashi down and thrusts up making Akaashi whimper into the crook of his neck.

“I got you, Keiji, don’t worry,” Bokuto mumbles as he takes control. Akaashi’s hands are shaking as he claws at Bokuto’s back, he’ll feel bad about it later but right now he’s lost in the feeling of pleasure. Bokuto brings a hand between them and starts stroking Akaashi, “I’m not going to last, Keiji. Not when you feel this tight.”

Akaashi’s breathing becomes even more labored, “Kou-Koutarou... ah- fuck- please fuck me harder.”

Bokuto groans and complies, making Akaashi scratch at his back even more. “let me look at you,” Bokuto pants out.

Akaashi sits up to look at him, Bokuto can't help but curse because of the sight that is Akaashi Keiji.

“You’re beautiful, Keiji,” Bokuto compliments, “I bet you’ll look so pretty when you cum, you’re so handsome. Cum for me, Keiji.”

Akaashi lets out a moan as he throws his head back and cums in Bokuto’s hand, his words have such an effect on him and Bokuto doesn’t even know. Bokuto cums soon after, Akaashi’s face, his moan, and Akaashi clenching around him were what sent him over the edge. Bokuto bites Akaashi’s shoulder, his moan is lower and quieter than what Akaashi thought it’d be but hot to him nonetheless.

The two sit in silence for a couple of minutes, trying to catch their breath. Bokuto kisses Akaashi’s temple before lifting him off of his lap,both gasping at the feeling of Bokuto coming out of Akaashi. Akaashi is still lying in bed sleepily when Bokuto walks out to get something to clean them off, they don’t talk while Bokuto cleans off Akaashi; they don’t talk when Bokuto wraps his arms around him from behind once he’s done and settled in; they don’t talk when Bokuto kisses his temple.

Words weren’t needed since they both knew well enough.

  
•••

When Akaashi wakes up, this time it’s 10:23 am and he’s alone. He sees some clothes neatly folded on top of the nightstand next to him and he knows that it’s Bokuto’s doing. He feels sore when he stretches but he smiles at the ache.  


_’Worth it.’_

After Akaashi is dressed in one of Bokuto’s T-shirts and his own jeans, he steps outside of the room and is hit with the smell of toast and eggs.

“I-I-I-I-I’m! Hooked on a feeling!”

Akaashi can’t help the smile that spreads across his face when he hears Bokuto singing. When he’s in Bokuto’s line of vision, Bokuto’s face lights up and he points at him, he has a spatula in his hand that he’s using as a microphone.

“That you’re in love with meeee!” Bokuto smiles before continuing, “Lips as sweet as candy, it’s taste is on my mind! Boy, you’ve got me thirsting! For anotherrrr cup of wineeee!” Bokuto moves his eyebrows up and down, suggestively which makes Akaashi shake his head, hiding his smile as much as possible, “Got a bug from you, boy! But I don't need no cureeeee! I just stay affecting If I can for sureeee!” Akaashi rolls his eyes at Bokuto’s performance and gets closer to him to distract him with a kiss, instead, Bokuto wraps his arms around him and sways to the music as he sings, “All the good love when we're all aloneeee... Keep it up Keiji, Yeah, you turn me on!”

Akaashi blushes, “alright I’m out.”

“No, sing- I-I-I-I-I’m!” Bokuto points are Akaashi.

“Hooked on a feeling,” Akaashi deadpans but the corners of his lips betray him.

“And I’m highhhhh on believing,” Bokuto continues, pointing at Akaashi to finish the lyrics.

“That you’re in love with meee,” Akaashi sings along, finally giving in.

Bokuto’s eyebrows shoot up, “I actually didn’t think you’d do it! You sound good!”

Akaashi laughs, “please, that was the bare minimum, don’t exaggerate.”

“Now imagine you all serious!? I didn’t know I was dating a singer!” Bokuto exclaims.

Akaashi shakes his head, his smile still on his face, “your eggs are burning.”

“Shit!” Bokuto shouts before scrambling back to the stove. He’s silent for a couple of seconds, “hey, since I’m doing something dangerous I’ll tell you this now because you won’t be able to do anything about.” Akaashi raises an eyebrow, the silence lets Bokuto know to continue, “well... hickeys look hot on you.”

Akaashi could feel his blood run cold and yet his cheeks heat up all at once, “you’re joking.”

Bokuto shakes his head, “please remember that I’m cooking.”

Akaashi can’t help his first thought being _‘Oikawa and Kuroo are never going to let me hear the end of it.’_

“Hurry up and finish cooking then,” Akaashi says in a deadpan voice, nothing like before.

“Akaashi! I got carried away I’m so sorry!”

“You’re about to be carried away in a body bag.”

Bokuto laughs, “Akaashi! Look, I’ll buy you makeup for it if you want.”

Akaashi hums as if pretending to be deep in thought.

“I- why’s it taking you so long to decide?” Bokuto asks concerned.

Akaashi laughs, “you don’t have to, Bokuto, it’s fine.”

“Nice... so can I stop pretending like I’m cooking now?”

Akaashi narrows his eyes (he left his glasses at home and hasn’t put on his contacts yet; his vision isn’t too bad, to begin with) and notices that the stove was no longer on, “I’m disappointed in myself.”

Bokuto lets out a laugh, “c’mon let’s go eat!”

  
•••

_‘Breakfast was nice,’_ Akaashi thinks; Akaashi is sitting on the couch with a cup of coffee while Bokuto brings him a hoodie, _‘I’ll tell him now that he’s not as hyped up as before.’_

Bokuto comes back not long after and hands Akaashi his hoodie, “hold on, I’m serving myself some apple juice!”

Akaashi nods the slightest hint of a smile on his lips because of his boyfriend’s childish behavior. He sets down his coffee and puts on the hoodie, he can’t stop himself from smelling it and smiling at Bokuto’s distinct smell. The only thing that can be heard is the humming of the AC, the cars driving up and down the street, and the clinking of ice in Bokuto’s glass but other than that it’s quiet.

Akaashi has never liked the quiet because he doesn’t like how his thoughts start running, maybe that’s why he’s always surrounded himself with loud people, but today he welcomes the quiet. With Bokuto his thoughts aren’t as loud as they usually are.

There’s a loud knock on the door that startles Akaashi and makes Bokuto splash juice everywhere.

“Hold on!” Bokuto calls out as he sets down the jug of apple juice on the counter. He walks to the door, looks through the peephole, and doesn’t move. Akaashi had been staring at him and when Bokuto’s face falls, Akaashi feels his heart drop. He doesn’t know why... it just did. Someone that is able to wipe Bokuto’s smile away is someone that means no good.

“Bokuto, I know you’re in there. This is important, I’m not leaving until you open the door!”

Akaashi feels his food in his throat, his heart drops even further if it’s even possible, and his blood runs cold.

_‘Aoki.’_

“Um,” Bokuto says in an uncharacteristically flat voice, “give me a second.”

Bokuto walks over to Akaashi, Akaashi is looking at a shadow on the wall with a vacant stare, his mind racing faster than it ever has.

“Akaashi,” Bokuto says in a serious tone that makes Akaashi snap back into reality, “it’s my ex.”

Akaashi nods slowly, “I know.”

Bokuto looks confused, “how do you know?”

“Bokuto, he’s going to tell you something-“

“Koutarou!” Aoki yells, “I traveled from Miyagi to be here and I have to be at work tomorrow morning, this is my only free day this month. Let me in!”

Bokuto looks at Akaashi hesitantly, “Akaashi, is it ok if I let him in?”

_‘GOD NO.’_

“I would’ve liked to have this conversation with you when I had more time but Aoki is outside and I know you’ll have a lot of questions so we won’t have time and I was going to tell you just now but-“

“Akaashi,” Bokuto interrupts, Akaashi looks up at him, his eyebrows are furrowed and his eyes look concerned, “what did you do?”

“Koutarou!”

Bokuto leaves Akaashi and goes to the door, he opens it slightly, “hey, Aoki, I need you to leav-“

Aoki pushes the door open with so much force he hits Bokuto in the nose.

“Fuck!” Bokuto yelps, his hand flies to his nose.

“Akaashi? Aoki says in disbelief, his eyes look at Akaashi up and down, they land on his neck, “ I knew it, you did it to get into his pants you fuckin-“

Akaashi frowns, “Aoki-“

“Don’t talk to him like that,” Bokuto interjects, “how do you even know Akaashi?”

Aoki’s eyebrows shoot up, there is a beat of silence before he speaks again, “you haven’t told him, Akaashi?”

Akaashi breathes in a shaky breath, “as a matter of fact, I was just about to tell him before you showed up.”

“You seem nervous,” Aoki says with a smirk, he looks at Bokuto who is now standing next to Akaashi, “Bokuto... I’m sorry to say this but Akaashi has never really liked you. He never has and never will...”

“Stop-“

“... I hired him to get revenge on you, he has a little business on the side where he plays people’s exes. Bokuto, you were just a job,” Aoki continues, ignoring Akaashi, “I wanted to tell you face to face because I just knew he would’ve kept playing you. Bokuto, Akaashi Keiji is a heartless bastard that has never loved anyone before in his life.”

There’s silence in the apartment for a couple of seconds before Bokuto laughs, he laughs as if he just heard the world's funniest joke. That boisterous laugh that Akaashi replays at night to fall asleep, “Aoki... this is low, even for you. Akaashi... he’s not like that. Those types of jobs don’t exist!”

Akaashi is staring at Aoki blankly, he can’t look at Bokuto even though he’s right next to him.

“Right, Akaashi?” Bokuto laughs.

When he gets no answer Bokuto isn’t laughing but he still has a smile on his face, Akaashi turns to look at him and Bokuto’s eyebrows furrow when he sees that Akaashi is not laughing or anything.

“I do like you Bokuto, I swear,” Akaashi whispers, “I stopped the job, I couldn’t do it anymore because I started liking you, I’m sorry you found out this way but I promise-“

“Sorry... what?” Bokuto asks, his smile fades slowly, “you’re not... you’re not denying it?”

“I’ll let you guys solve this. Oh, and if it’s any consultation, he stopped receiving my money two Sundays ago,” Aoki says with a look that just screamed “fuck you” to Akaashi.

Once Aoki closes the door behind him, Bokuto turns to look at Akaashi, “what?”

“Bokuto, let me explain-“

“You took money from my ex to... to lead me on?” Bokuto asks, his face looks hurt and Akaashi can feel his heart crack into a million pieces.

“Bokuto, it's not what it seems-“

“Akaashi...” Bokuto swallows, “even if that was the case... why would you stop the deal right when we started dating? Did you not like me before that?”

“I-“

“Are you only dating me now so that you can let me down easy? Because... you didn’t like me before so now you’re dating me for a couple of weeks so it doesn’t look suspicious?” Bokuto questions, “did you mean anything you said?”

“Bokuto, please-“

“Akaashi...” Bokuto rubs his eyes, “I need you to leave.”

Akaashi’s heart breaks even more but he doesn’t say anything.

“We’ll talk another day, I just... I cant see you right now,” Bokuto whispers, “please leave, take your stuff and leave, you don’t even have to give me back the clothes you have on right now, just... I need to think.”

Akaashi stares at Bokuto in disbelief, “you won’t let me explain myself-“

“I’m hurt, Akaashi,” Bokuto looks at him, there are tears in his eyes, and his voice breaks, “I know we dated for like two weeks and I know that may mean nothing to you but I don’t get in relationships with people unless I really, really like them. You have to admit, this sounds really bad, I just... I need you to leave, I need to clear my mind.”

Akaashi stares at him for a couple of seconds before nodding slowly. He silently walks to Bokuto’s room to get his phone and clothes from the night before. He walks past Bokuto and out the door without saying goodbye.

_‘Someone that is able to wipe Bokuto’s smile away is someone that means no good.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Bokuto and Akaashi have a good morning”
> 
> LMAO IM SORRY
> 
> I mean he did try...
> 
> Did you guys catch that Aoki said the line that made Akaashi feel guilty and the fact that Akaashi left without saying anything even though he told Bokuto he wouldn’t do that?
> 
> (Lmao I love over analyzing stuff and fitting it with my stories so here’s the reason I added The Less I Know The Better in the title, it’s just me making this whole thing angstier) 
> 
> Speaking of random little details. I added The Less I Know The Better because I think the lines 
> 
> “I was doing fine without you, till I saw your face”
> 
> And
> 
> “C’mon Superman, say your stupid line” 
> 
> are very fitting, not the song in general. The first line I pointed out goes without saying but the second one, I feel, portrays Bokuto’s disappointment. Bokuto saw Akaashi as perfect through this whole story (aka Superman, a perfect person) but now that he sees that Akaashi is a liar, he’s mocking him because he’s like an actor, a pretender. 
> 
> Also, Earfquake is just straight up Akaashi. It was so perfect I just KNEWW I had to add it.
> 
> ANYWAYS DHDHDJ I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER! THANK YOU FOR READING ( ´∀｀)
> 
> ** also, if you guys want to go yell at me or be nice or anything my tumblr is @popcornfucker


	13. Someone To Spend Time With - Los Retros + A Boy Is A Gun - Tyler The Creator

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akaashi and Bokuto are trying to deal with their feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so sorry but I hope you enjoy this chapter anyways!
> 
> Someone To Spend Time With: Akaashi 
> 
> A Boy Is A Gun: Bokuto

“Akaashi! Welcome back from having hardcore gay se- hey, are you ok?”

Akaashi pushes Kuroo’s arm that’s blocking him from coming in. He knows from experience that Kuroo doesn’t like it when he doesn’t know what’s wrong with his friends, specifically the ones who hide their emotions, so he know he will be on his case soon but Akaashi just can’t deal with him right now.

“Akaashi?” Kenma calls after Akaashi who darts straight to his room.

Once he’s inside, he sits on his bed and tries to wrap his head around what just happened.

 _‘I’m stupid, what the hell. Kenma and Kuroo were right, I should’ve told him sooner,’_ Akaashi feels tears in his eyes and he immediately blinks them away, _‘I’m not the one that should be crying, I’m the one that fucked it up.’_

Akaashi lies on his bed and burrows his face in a pillow, allowing his tears to finally fall.

_‘He’s hurting because of me.’_

A sob rips out of his throat when he remembers Bokuto’s face, the disbelief and disappointment were evident.

_‘He doesn’t deserve this. I should’ve stayed away as soon as I felt like something was off. I’m awful.’_

Akaashi allows himself to cry for the first time in a while. Hell, Akaashi has never cried over what another person might be feeling.

Bokuto changed Akaashi’s routine the moment he stepped foot in the bookstore.  
  
  


•••

Akaashi wakes up for the third time today at around 4 pm, this time alone and with puffy eyes. Akaashi stays in his sleeping position for a while before sitting up. He sighs and he sits there for a while, Akaashi feels weak and his head hurts.

He can’t hear anything from the other side of the door so he slips out as quietly as possible.

Akaashi makes it to the kitchen before noticing that Kuroo and Kenma are in the living room. Kenma is on his switch while Kuroo is taking a nap next to him. Kenma pauses whatever game he’s playing and looks up at Akaashi. The two stare at each other in silence for a couple of seconds.

“Akaashi... are you ok?”

Akaashi clenches his jaw, “yes... do you not know what happened?”

Kenma shakes his head, “Bokuto won’t answer any of our messages.”

Akaashi let’s out a shaky breath, he pops his fingers like he usually does when he’s nervous, “I... I really messed up, Kenma.”

“Wanna talk about it?”

Akaashi shrugs.

“I’ll be here if you need me... is Bokuto ok?” Kenma asks.

Akaashi’s heart breaks a bit at the mention of Bokuto, “... no.”

“Akaashi... What happened?” Kenma asks, his face looks worried and confused all at once.

“He found out in the worst way possible, Kenma,” Akaashi manages to get out, “he hates me, he told me to leave, I couldn’t explain myself, and... I really fucked up.”

Kenma pats the empty space next to him, Akaashi takes this as an invitation to sit down. He walks slowly; once he’s sitting, Kenma wraps an arm around him.

“I always had my doubts you know?” Akaashi whispers, “I always thought, “maybe I am cruel, maybe this job that I do is mean and way too hurtful and... I don’t think I’m a good person, Kenma... this just proves it. Bokuto doesn’t deserve any of this.”

Akaashi’s heart clenches as he thinks about Bokuto. How kind and understanding he can be. How bright, cheerful, and loving he is, “I... I’m the worst. How could I break the heart of a person like Bokuto?”

There’s a moment of silence save for Akaashi’s sniffles. Kenma stares at him with wide eyes.

“How’d he find out?” Kuroo mutters, causing Kenma and Akaashi to jump.

Akaashi swallows a lump in his throat, “Aoki... it all happened so fast. I was just about to tell him everything and Aoki showed up and told him in the cruelest way possible; I’ve lost him, Kuroo.”

“Fucking Aoki,” Kuroo mumbles as Kenma pats Akaashi’s back. His movements are awkward but Akaashi appreciates the sentiment.

“I don’t think he hates you, Akaashi,” Kenma says, “he’s just very hurt right now.”

Akaashi scoffs, “I dated him for two weeks, Kenma. It’d be really easy for him to change his opinion on me, especially with something as strong as this situation.”

“Bokuto isn’t as emotionally unavailable as us, Akaashi,” Kenma replies.

“That’s true. You know, if Bokuto asks you out then that means he’s _really_ into you,” Kuroo adds.

Akaashi is looking down at his hands, “yeah... he told me.”

“So, what are you going to do?” Kuroo asks.

Akaashi sighs, “there’s not much I can do. I’ll just wait until he tells me he’s ready to talk.”

Kuroo and Kenma give each other a look.

“You might have to go with your gut on this one and text him first... I think he might be too upset to actually text you first so text him whenever you think he might be ready,” Kuroo pauses, “he’s an emotional person but I’m sure you know that already... I’ll have to see how he is to know for sure what your next move should be.”

There’s a moment of silence before Akaashi suddenly barks out a dry laugh, “why am I so upset? Why do I care so much? ... We... we dated for two weeks... I’ve known him for three months or something... so why do I care?”

“Akaashi, the amount of time you’ve known a person doesn’t matter but the amount of care you have for them does,” Kenma says, “you don’t trust easily, I know, but with Bokuto... you’re different... so... uh,” he looks at Kuroo for help.

“What Kenma is trying to say is don’t give up on him,” Kuroo helps, “You feel so strongly for him and he feels strongly for you so... don’t give up on him just yet.”

Akaashi nods, “I just hope he still does after this.”

Kuroo scoffs, “Bokuto is the most stubborn bastard I know,” he pauses, “you worried us for a second, we thought you got mugged or something.”

Akaashi wipes his eyes that had tears threatening to spill out, “oh?”

“Yeah... we didn’t know if you had a hickey or a bruise,” Kuroo says teasingly.

Akaashi groans, “the effect your words had on me is over, congrats, you ruined it.”

Kuroo chuckles softly, “it’s what I do best.”

Kenma shakes his head, a soft smile on his lips, “wanna watch a movie, Akaashi?”

“I brought ice cream so... help yourself out,” Kuroo says while stretching before getting up, “I’m gonna go check up on Bokuto, you guys have fun.”

Akaashi nods absentmindedly and says goodbye. Once Kenma has walked him out and sitting next to Akaashi, Akaashi speaks, “Why is Kuroo so...?”

“So weird?” Kenma asks as he starts searching for something to watch.

“No... just... understanding,” Akaashi pauses, “I always expect him to be more upset, Bokuto is his best friend so why is he helping me?”

Kenma stops what he’s doing to look at Akaashi, “do you remember the summer before your first year of college?

Akaashi nods in reply. How could he forget? Kuroo had gotten a girlfriend to forget about Kenma since they’d be seeing each other more often considering the fact that Kenma was no longer going to be in high school. The two had so much tension and misunderstandings that Akaashi could have considered himself a professional couple’s therapist by the end of it all.

“He has made a lot of mistakes,” Kenma explains, “he thinks you’re one of our most responsible friends, these are your first mistakes in his eyes so he’s not giving you a hard time. Also, most importantly, he sees your point of view and he wants his friends to be happy.”

“I make lots of mistakes.”

Kenma shrugs, “not to us. You don’t give yourself enough credit, you’re so quick to judge yourself.”

Akaashi hums in response.

“I know you don’t believe me so what do you want to watch?”

•••

Akaashi calls in sick on Monday...

... And Tuesday...

... And Wednesday.

He told his professors and Suga that he has the flu. Suga’s worry made him feel guilty but he promised him it wasn’t anything too bad. He has spent most of the time in his room, only coming out when it’s absolutely necessary.

He hasn’t heard a lot about Bokuto. All Kuroo has told him is that he doesn’t want to talk to anyone but he assures him that he’ll let Akaashi know when Bokuto is ready to speak to him.

The guilt is eating at Akaashi.

Akaashi is under his blankets when he hears a quiet knock on the door.

“Akaashi?”

“... Hm?”

“So... Oikawa, Yamaguchi, Tsukishima, Kageyama, and Hinata are on their way.

Akaashi frowns, “what?”

“They want to check up on you,” Kenma explains, “so... do what you want with that information.”

Akaashi hums in return and sits up. He hasn’t checked his phone in a while and he’s spent most of these past few days in his room, wallowing in regret, guilt, and concern. He doesn’t know how long he’s been sitting until he hears voices outside his room.

 _‘They can’t see me like this, I’m not known for this. They think so highly of me, they’ll be so disappointed,”_ Akaashi thinks frantically. He settles on one phrase that can perfectly describe/sum up what he’s currently feeling:

_’This is embarrassing.’_

There’s a knock on his door and it’s definitely not Kenma.

“Hey, bud, are you good?” Oikawa asks.

Akaashi doesn’t reply, he’s half-hoping they’ll leave if he doesn’t answer.

“Akaashi?” This time it’s Hinata and the worry in his voice makes Akaashi feel even more guilty.

_‘Am I really going to push away my friends too?’_

Akaashi feels his eyes water in embarrassment before he gets up and slowly unlocks the door with a shaky hand.

“Hello.”

Kenma is standing there too, he looks relieved that Akaashi actually opened the door. Akaashi goes back to sit on his bed, leaving the door open so that his friends can come in.

Oikawa, Yamaguchi, and Hinata sit next to him while Tsukishima, Kageyama, and Kenma stand awkwardly around them.

“Are you ok?” Kageyama asks.

Akaashi doesn’t know why but Kageyama asking him of all people almost makes him cry. Kageyama usually minds his business when it comes to Akaashi and for him to ask him this straight-up was almost too much for Akaashi. When Yamaguchi squeezes his shoulder, Akaashi can’t help the tears that spill out.

Tsukishima and Kageyama subtly look at each other, not knowing how to deal with this while Oikawa puts and arm around Akaashi.

“Hey, what’s wrong, Akaashi?” Hinata asks frantically, “Kageyama, what the hell!?”

“I didn’t mean to!” Kageyama sputters.

Akaashi wipes away his tears, he was glad he wasn’t wearing his glasses, “Its not your fault Kageyama... I messed up... you guys are going to hate me for this.”

“Crying is normal, we don’t hate you!” Hinata reassures.

Tsukishima rubs his temples but doesn’t say anything. Akaashi would be proud of him if he wasn’t currently crying his eyes out.

“What happened?” Yamaguchi asks softly.

Akaashi takes in a deep breath, “Bokuto’s ex hired me,” he notes that everyone’s eyes widen, except for Kenma’s, “it turns out his ex lied about everything so I broke off the deal. I stayed with Bokuto because... I ended up liking him. Bokuto found out in a really bad way on Saturday.” Akaashi pauses, “he’s hurt and I’m pretty sure he hates me now,” Akaashi stifles a sob, “I shouldn’t be crying, I’ve just been really emotional these past few days.”

“Why shouldn’t you be crying?” Yamaguchi sounds confused.

“Because I’m not the one that got hurt,” Akaashi replies.

“But you regret it. It makes you upset, so it’s ok to cry. You’re a good person, Akaashi. You were scared,” Yamaguchi says.

Everyone nods in agreement.

“I _am_ scared,” Akaashi admits, “I don’t want to lose him.”

“Did you guys break up?” Oikawa asks.

“Well... no-“

Oikawa clasps his hands, “then you have a chance!”

“Akaashi,” Tsukishima says, everyone turns to look at him and he seems to scowl at the attention, avoiding eye contact, “I’ve known Bokuto for a while now, he won’t give up on you that easily. You’re all he’s talked about in the group chat ever since Kuroo found out it was you.”

Akaashi feels butterflies in his stomach but they immediately stop when he realizes that Bokuto probably won’t feel that way anymore. Three days is enough time to overthink everything and Akaashi knows first hand.

“See, not all hope is lost,” Oikawa says happily, “soooo, you know what, Akaashi? Get dressed, do what you gotta do, we’re having a karaoke night.”

Akaashi blinks a couple of times, “huh?”

“You overthink too much,” Oikawa explains, “so we’re going to keep your mind off things.”

“Don’t you guys have stuff to do today? And knowing you guys we’re going to be staying up late and aren’t you guys busy tomorrow?”

Hinata shrugs, “we cleared our schedules!”

Akaashi feels a wave of affection towards his friends wash over him, “you guys are very kind.”

“We’re your friends, Akaashi,” Kenma says, “we care about you.”

Akaashi blinks away tears that are threatening to spill out again, “thank you.”

Oikawa smiles, “Iwa is getting here later but he said we can start without him.”

Akaashi nods, “do we wait on Kuroo?”

Kenma shakes his head, “he’s not coming over tonight, he said he’s busy. You’re going to get pissed when I tell you this but he called me and said “I’m not going to make it _home_ tonight”.”

Akaashi scoffs.

Everyone gives Akaashi a knowing smile, ‘there he is.’

•••

“I’m going to die alone, Kuroo,” Bokuto mutters, he’s laying in bed, staring at the ceiling.

Kuroo hums in return.

For someone so loud he really doesn’t like talking when he’s sad. Bokuto goes through two phases when he’s upset:

Phase 1:

Silent mode, Do Not Disturb, etc.

Bokuto doesn’t talk to anyone unless he is asked about it, ignored, or he’s ignored for so long that when someone finally asks how he’s feeling, he’ll spill.

And Phase 2:

Moping.

Let’s leave it at that.

“You won’t die alone, Bokuto, Akaashi really likes you,” Kuroo says robotically, he’s been here for an hour and Bokuto has said that three times already. As a matter of fact, it’s the only thing he has said to him all day. Kuroo is sitting on the floor across the bed, doing homework. He’s not too much of a clean freak but the fact that two of his closest friends had sex on that bed makes him uncomfortable.

Bokuto is silent, “hey, Kuroo?”

Kuroo immediately focuses on the conversation, “Yeah?”

“Did you... know?”

Kuroo sighs, “honestly? No. Well, I found out the day after you guys got together.”

Bokuto sits up and stares at him in disbelief. The fast movement makes Kuroo look up, “bro! What the hell!? So you just let me get played!?”

“No, I didn’t know you were getting played, I found out after you stopped getting played.”

Bokuto looks at him in confusion, “what the hell does that mean!?”

“I mean,” Kuroo puts away his laptop, “I found out after Akaashi had fallen for you and the relationship became real on both ends.”

Bokuto scoffs, “yeah right.”

“Hey, why is that hard to believe, man?”

“He’s so pretty, Kuroo,” Bokuto mutters as he flops back onto his bed.

Kuroo furrows his eyebrows, his eyes roam all over Bokuto to try to read his body language, “... uh...” he isn’t getting anything, “...yeah?”

“Like... it was already impossible for him to like someone like me, now that I know that he was lying it just... makes sense.”

Kuroo rolls his eyes, _‘How did two of the most insecure people on earth end up together?’_

“Bokuto, you’re in the starting lineup of our volleyball team. You’re not just some random guy.”

Bokuto shrugs, there’s a couple of seconds of silence before he speaks up again, “... so... how’s he doing?”

_‘All I can do for him is to answer his questions. He isn’t like Akaashi where I can give him a reality check and he’s immediately ok.’_

“Not great,” Kuroo answers honestly.

“Why?”

Kuroo looks at him with a deadpan expression, “geez, I don’t know, maybe because he got in a fight with his boyfriend?”

Bokuto shrugs, “I just don’t understand why since he wanted nothing to do with me to begin with.”

_‘He doesn’t understand. When he has an idea in his head, it’s so hard to get it out. He’s too fucking stubborn.’_

“Because he fell for you, idi-“ Kuroo stops himself. Bokuto needs to be handled with care right now, “I... I can’t explain to you what happened, Bokuto. That’s something for Akaashi to do but trust me, this man cares so much for you,” Kuroo pauses, “mans set up a dinner date for you. He’s never done anything for his partners in the five years I’ve known him.”

Bokuto perks up ever so slightly, “... really?”

“Yes, Bokuto,” Kuroo hesitates but opens his mouth to continue, Akaashi needs all the help he can get, “He overthinks everything and he ignored all these negative thoughts about how he’s not good enough so that he could give you a nice date.”

Bokuto feels his heart clench, “He told me about that.”

“About what?”

“His overthinking.”

Kuroo’s eyes widen, “what?”

“Yeah, he told me he always overthinks,” Bokuto mumbles as he closes his eyes, recalling the events from that night.

“Dude... he never openly admit that to Kenma and I until we knew him for like... two years,” Kuroo pauses, “like, I knew he liked you but to do that... you know how bad his trust issues are.”

Bokuto bites his lip, “... I miss him.” Kuroo gets up and sits on the bed much to his own discomfort. He squeezes Bokuto’s arm as if to say “hey I’m here for you” as tears begin to roll down Bokuto’s cheek, “I give up. I can’t do relationships anymore. I need to be strong for this one, I’m not talking to him first. I’m not chasing a guy who could care less about me. I’ve done that too many times.”

_‘Shit, I thought he was getting better but I just made it worse. Akaashi... wherever you are... please get over your fear of starting conversations with people you like soon.’_

“He likes you, man-“

“Are you just saying this because he’s your friend? Or because I’m your friend?”

_‘Oh. That kinda hurt.’_

“No. I’m saying this because it’s true and seeing _both_ of my closest friends hurting when this could be easily solved sucks.”

Bokuto laughs dryly, “how do you know it can be easily solved?”

“Because it’s all a misunderstanding,” Kuroo mumbles, he looks up at Bokuto who now has his other arm covering his face, “what do I have to do to prove to you that Akaashi likes you... that he feels guilty and cares?”

Bokuto shrugs.

“Don’t do this but to be honest he could walk right through that door right now and I’d forgive him. I’m weak and I’m trying to be strong,” Bokuto mumbles, “so can we stop talking about him?”

Kuroo sighs but nods anyway, “yeah.”

_  
’I won’t point out the fact that they’re still dating just yet.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKOKOK I KNOW IT LOOKS BAD AND ITS PRETTY DEPRESSING BUTTTTTT 
> 
> WOULD YOU FORGIVE ME IF I TOLD YOU NEXT CHAPTER IS FROM KUROO’S POV? 
> 
> BUT EVEN IF YOU DONT: STILL THANK YOU FOR READING!!! I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER EVEN IF IT WAS A DOWNER
> 
> Tumblr: Popcornfucker


	14. Corazón De Roca - Chicano Batman (cover) + Si Veo A Tu Mamá - Bad Bunny + Sarah Smiles - Panic! At The Disco

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuroo is trying to be a good friend and he’s trying his best but... it’s Kuroo.... nothing can ever go perfectly smooth.
> 
> We also see a more serious side of Kuroo in this chapter and Kuroo understands Akaashi’s point of view better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These are all in Bokuto’s POV.
> 
> ENJOY!!!! THIS ONE IS ALSO A LITTLE SAD! SORRY!!! IT WILL GET BETTER!!! 
> 
> At some point!!!

_“What do I have to do to prove to you that Akaashi likes you... that he feels guilty and cares?”_

  
  
“I’m going to regret this,” Kuroo mumbles to himself before adjusting his AirPod and unmuting his phone, “can you hear me?”

“Mhm.”

Is Kuroo about to risk years of trust and friendship with Akaashi right now because neither of his friends knows how to talk to each other?

Yes.

It’s currently Saturday and Akaashi was now pushing aside his feelings. Kuroo knows because, although he has been acting his usual stoic self, he sometimes spaces out. Not just that but every time anyone mentions _anything_ remotely related to Bokuto, he either perks up or excuses himself to his room.

Bokuto is much worse. He hasn’t gone to practice and Kuroo has practically been living with Bokuto since Wednesday just to make sure he’s taking care of himself. The only reason he knew about Akaashi acting the way he is was because of Kenma.

Bokuto has never been so quiet.

It’s scary.

* * *

  
“He’s working tomorrow,” Kenma had told Kuroo last night on the phone.

_‘On a Saturday?’_

“Do you think he’s ready to go back to work?”

Kenma sighed, “no, but it’s Akaashi, he has too much pride.”

Kuroo hummed in response.

“How are you?” Kenma asked, “you know... how are you dealing with this? it’s two of your closest friends.”

Now it was Kuroo’s turn to sigh, “I’m fine... it’s just stressful, I wish I could do more.”

Kenma was silent for a moment before speaking again, “don’t do crazy things, Tetsurou.”

_‘Shit he used my name.’_

“I won’t.”

Kenma hummed, Kuroo knew he wasn’t convinced, “I love you.”

“Love you too.”  
  


* * *

_‘Now here I am doing something stupid and crazy... irrational and sneaky... fake and... snakey?’_

Kuroo sighs as he opens the door to Suga’s bookstore, he puts on a smile when he sees Akaashi.

“Kaashi! Hey! How’s it going!”

Akaashi is still looking down at the book he’s checking out for the customer in front of him. His eyes peer over his glasses to spare Kuroo a glance before going back to work.

Kuroo rolls his eyes.

“Is he there?” Bokuto asks quietly in his ear.

“Mhm,” Kuroo hums back quietly as he walks closer to Akaashi.

Kuroo leans on the front desk as he waits for Akaashi to be done. Once the woman has left, Akaashi turns to him.

“How may I help you?”

Kuroo scoffs, “no need to play store with me, ‘Kaashi.”

Akaashi rolls his eyes. He wants to say something but doesn’t all at once and he’s playing with his fingers. Kuroo knows him long enough to notice.

“How’ve you been?” Kuroo asks quieter than just a few seconds ago.

“I’m fine.”

_‘Akaashi, not the best answer please-‘_

“You don’t look fine.”

Akaashi has his usual stone-faced look and Kuroo would’ve definitely taken his response as fact if it weren’t for the other much-proven fact that he _knows_ how much Akaashi has been upset over this.

Also, if Bokuto wasn’t listening right now but that’s beside the point.

Akaashi scoffs, “I’m at work, Kuroo. What the hell do you want me to say?”

Kuroo shrugs, “I just really haven’t seen you, I wanted to check up on you.”

“I don’t need your pity, Kuroo,” Akaashi quietly says, “I’m fine.”

“C’mon, Akaashi-“

“Please leave, Kuroo. I’ll see you later.”

Kuroo stares at his friend in shock, _‘I guess he reallyyyyy doesn’t like talking about it.’_

Kuroo nods a couple of times, “fine... I’ll see you around, Akaashi.”

Without another word, Kuroo turns around and leaves.

_‘His ability to pretend like nothing is wrong is concerning.’_

Kuroo walks for a few more seconds before scrambling to get his phone out of his pocket. He completely forgot. The call is still ongoing which means Bokuto hasn’t hung up yet.

“Hey, bro, you still there?”

He’s met with silence but he knows Bokuto is in fact there.

_‘He’s in his emo mode.’_

“Hey-“

“He’s over me... just like that.”

“Bokuto, no-“

“He said he’s ok, Kuroo,” Bokuto mumbles, “thank you for everything, man... I wanna be alone right now.”

”No wait, Bokuto, you didn’t see him, he was messing with his fingers like when he’s nervous and he-“

“He also does that when he’s just standing,” Bokuto interrupts.

Kuroo is quiet as he searches in his memories of Akaashi, trying to find out if that’s true.

_‘Huh. I guess he’s right.’_

“I’ll call you later.”

Before Kuroo can reply, Bokuto has already hung up.

“Shit,” Kuroo mumbles.

He changes his direction to Akaashi and Kenma’s apartment. If Bokuto didn’t want to talk then it was best to leave him be.

•••

“Kuroo... what are you doing?” Akaashi questions he walks out of his room.

Kuroo is in the living room and so is their dining table, both are in front of a camera that Kenma is behind of. It’s Sunday now, Kuroo left early yesterday so that Akaashi didn’t have to see him.

 _‘I’m the best friend there is,”_ Kuroo remembers thinking. 

“What I’m doing, Akaashi is getting that YouTube coin,” Kuroo replies with a smirk, “instead of teaching chemistry, I’m going to dedicate my channel to cool experiments.”

“I think you’re going the easy way out, Kuroo,” Kenma sighs, “I feel like it would’ve been better to teach chemistry in a fun way.”

Kuroo shrugs, “ I think this will make me stand out more.”

“How? Aren’t there hundreds of these types of videos?” Akaashi questions.

“I have one thing they don’t,” Kuroo says with a smirk.

“And that is?” Kenma asks.

Kuroo points at himself, “the looks.”

“The looks of an idiot,” Kenma says; Kuroo frowns, he smiles.

Kuroo opens his mouth to retort but Akaashi interrupts him, “Uh... Kuroo... I’m sorry for being mean to you yesterday.”

Kuroo waves him off, “Nah I get it. You’re upset man, I shouldn’t have asked.”

_‘I really, really, reallyyy shouldn’t have asked.’_

“You were just trying to be nice, sorry.”

Kuroo gives him a smile, “it’s fine.”

_‘Good. Nice to know I haven’t fucked up my relationship with Akaashi.’_

“Kuro, can we do this now? I have to film something,” Kenma says with a sigh.

Kuroo nods before adjusting his glasses while Akaashi sits on a couch that’s out of frame.

“Rolling,” Kenma says dryly before pulling out his old PSP.

“What’s good, welcome to Crazy Cool Chemistry-“

“What’s good?”

“Crazy Cool Chemistry?” Akaashi adds onto the list of questionable choices.

“I got it from a YouTube name generator and couldn’t be assed to try for another one,” Kuroo says to Akaashi before turning his attention to Kenma, “I’m trying to sound as chill as possible, could you imagine if I came up here looking lame as hell? No one would want to watch.”

“Yeah but like... you said that with no emotion, you sound depressed,” Kenma says, “also, you’re wearing glasses. You already look lame as hell.”

“You have absolutely no room to judge the tone of my voice,” Kuroo huffs, “also, I can't control the fact I wear glasses! Now, let’s restart it!”

After twenty minutes or so of rambling and pouring ingredients, Kuroo looks like he’s about to lose his mind.

“I sound boring... I-“ Kuroo pauses dramatically, “I’ve become the sole thing I set myself out to destroy.” There’s a long silence before Kuroo groans, “Akaashi, come here.”

Akaashi quirks an eyebrow.

“You upset me yesterday,” Kuroo reminds him with a pout.

Akaashi rolls his eyes but sighs, gets up warily, and walks slowly next to Kuroo.

_‘It actually worked!’_

“Anyways, kiddos! Meet my boyfriend’s roommate, one of my besties, and all-around cool guyyyyyy...” Kuroo stretches out the end of guy way too enthusiastically to be real, he pauses and then suddenly cries out, “Akaashi Keiji!”

Akaashi gives the camera a short wave, “hi.”

“Yeah! He’s cool, smart, nice... cute!?” Kuroo pauses and stares at the camera expectantly as if he’s going to get a reaction from a live audience. Akaashi can’t help but glare at Kuroo’s poor attempt of getting the audience’s attention, “and if you subscribe, I’ll make more videos with him, and exploit his beauty! If we reach one thousand subscribers, I’ll leak his address and my boyfriend will show up in my next video!”

Akaashi stares at Kuroo blankly, “please leave our apartment.”

There’s a beat of silence and then Kenma sputters, “this is too good.”

Kuroo grins mischievously and Akaashi looks at Kenma in disbelief, “you know, a lot of people don’t know this but you’re just as bad as Kuroo.”

Kenma composes himself and gives Akaashi a small smile, “Just go along with it-“

Akaashi quirks and eyebrow, Kenma has always been against going along with Kuroo’s weird ideas.

“-and if he gets enough money, Akaashi... maybe he’ll actually want to stay in his apartment.”

Akaashi’s eyes widen. He turns to look at Kuroo (who honestly looks completely out of it) and when Kuroo notices Akaashi staring, he looks down at him. Without blinking, Akaashi speaks, “what do you need me to do?”

_‘Thank any god out there I didn’t fuck this up.’_

When he’s finally done filming, he’s left alone with Akaashi while Kenma goes to his room so that he can send the video clips to Kuroo. The silence is awkward and Kuroo can just tell that Akaashi wants to ask him questions about Bokuto. 

_‘Akaashi has too much pride,’_ Kuroo thinks, _‘And he can be very stubborn too... what a match made in heaven.’_

“So...” Kuroo begins, “why were you working on a Saturday?”

“We didn’t hang out on Friday since we hung out on Wednesday,” Akaashi replies casually.

“Hm.”

There’s a beat of silence before Akaashi speaks again, “how is he?”

 _‘There it is... but howdoes one tell your friend that you fucked up?’_ Kuroo thinks before he is hit with a moment of epiphany, _‘I’m starting to see why you didn’t tell him sooner, Akaashi.’_

“Uh... not good.”

“Then I shouldn’t try to talk to him right now?”

“Yeah... maybe not. Give him a bit more space ya know? Until he’s not as hurt and can think rationally,” Kuroo advises.

Akaashi nods slowly and lets out a sigh, “good luck on your video, I have to go do homework. I’ll see you later, Kuroo.”

Kuroo nods, “thanks!”

_‘He really thought he could lie to me.’_

When Akaashi is gone, Kuroo flops on the couch with a sigh before he rubs his eyes a bit too aggressively.

_‘This shit sucks.’_

“You ok?” 

Kuroo’s hands fly off his face when he hears Kenma’s voice.

“Uh... yeah.”

Kenma gives him a look that basically translates to, “You’re not ok, I know because I’m your best friend and boyfriend that has known you almost all your life and this attempt of hiding whatever you’re feeling is pitiful”.

Kuroo is way too familiar with it.

Kenma goes over to him. When he’s close enough, he cups Kuroo’s face. Kuroo smiles softly as he closes his eyes and waits to be kissed. Instead, Kenma moves Kuroo’s head and rubs underneath his eyes. Kuroo opens his eyes and frowns.

“What are you doing?”

“Idiot,” Kenma mutters, “you haven’t been sleeping.”

Kuroo rolls his eyes, “I’m fine. I haven’t been sleeping as much but it’s not too bad, also, look who’s talking.”

Kenma ignores the last part and clicks his tongue, “still... the best way to help Bokuto is to be there for him. If he sees you like this he’ll feel worse.”

Kuroo pouts, “fine, you win.”

A small smile pulls at the corner of Kenma’s lips, “I know.”

“But~” Kuroo begins, “you have to do me a favor... actually, make that two.”

“Hm,” Kenma hums, “depends.”

“Well, first,” Kuroo begins, “I want you to take Akaashi out to do something next weekend. Literally, do anything to get him out of the house, he’s too mopey.”

“... I guess I can do that but to be honest I think I’ll need Oikawa’s he- sorry, his hel- sorry, I can’t say it.”

Kuroo laughs, “why’d you say that in the most monotone way ever?”

Kenma laughs softly, “don’t worry, I’ll try. I’ll take care of Akaashi while you’re gone.”

“Aw, look at us. We’re like parents!”

“I don’t get it, is Akaashi your little brother or your son?”

Kuroo shrugs, “depends on the day.”

Kenma shakes his head with a breathy laugh, “so, what’s your second favor?”

“Can I get a kiss?”

Kenma blushes, “no.”

“Aw c’mon! Kiss me, I’m working hard!”

Kenma scowls in response.

  
  


Kuroo gets a kiss.

•••

Although being with Bokuto is the thing Kuroo least wants right now (its too depressing), he still has to go pick up his laptop from Bokuto’s apartment.

Kuroo has been knocking on the door for ten minutes now but there’s still no answer.

“If I get arrested, I’m killing him,” Kuroo mutters as he takes out an “emergency” bobby pin from his pocket.

It takes him a couple of tries but once the door is opened he walks in quietly as to not scare Bokuto. He makes it past the living room with no signs of Bokuto.

“Hey.”

“Fuck!” Kuroo yelps, “Dude you scared the shit out of me, what the hell!”

Bokuto is lying on the couch, wrapped around a blanket. He has an empty look in his eyes and by the looks of it he had been on Netflix, but since there was no movement for a while from Bokuto’s end, it showed a slideshow of shows to watch.

“Sorry,” Bokuto mumbles, suddenly tears fall out of his eyes.

“Hey, dude, it’s fine, I forgive you,” Kuroo says trying to console Bokuto the best he can.

_‘He’s being hard on himself, this always happens when he’s sad, I need to be nice... handle him with care.’_

“No, sorry, I just remembered that that’s kind of how I met A- Akaashi-“ a sob interrupts Bokuto.

 _‘Damn... this is worst than I thought,’_ Kuroo thinks before sighing.

“Hey, you’re good. It’s ok,” Kuroo makes his way to him and sits on the tiny bit of space on the couch Bokuto is lying on.

“Whatever,” Bokuto sighs, “why did you come back? I thought you told me you’d give me space.”

“I know you enough to know that a day is enough for you,” Kuroo replies, “also... I needed my laptop.”

Bokuto hums in reply, Kuroo sighs and gets up to get his laptop from the coffee table in front of them before sitting on a sofa next to the couch Bokuto is currently using.

“What’re you doing?” Bokuto mumbles.

“I filmed a video for my YouTube channel,” Kuroo explains, “I’m gonna edit it right now.”

Bokuto actually seems to look excited (or as excited as a person who just cried and has their heartbroken can look), “Dude that’s good!”

“Yeah, I know,” Kuroo replies with a grin, “I just hope I actually get paid, it’s either YouTube or retail and I’m not nice enough for retail.”

“You’d get fired on sight,” Bokuto jokes with a small smile that causes Kuroo to smile as well.

“True.”

After that it’s mostly silent, Bokuto is still lying on the couch and Kuroo is downloading all the clips he needs. However, when Kuroo glances up, Kuroo feels guilty. Bokuto still has that sad, empty, lost look in his eyes that Kuroo hasn’t seen since their high school matches.

_‘I don’t think I’ve tried to do anything nice for Bokuto the way our friends have for Akaashi. Bokuto is a people-person, Akaashi is a closeted people-person, so wouldn’t it make sense for Bokuto to want company even more?’_

“Hey, Bo,” Kuroo speaks up.

“Hm?”

“Imma need you to get ready.”

“Why?”

“Trust me,” Kuroo says, “just get ready.”

Bokuto quirks an eyebrow, “... ok.”

•••

“What the hell is _he_ doing here?” Tsukishima whispers to Kuroo when he opens the door.

“Listen, I just texted the people Bokuto last spoke to,” Kuroo explains, “he was on the list so I thought it’d be good for Bokuto to invite him. He can’t _just_ hang out with his and Akaashi’s mutual friends, it’s weird so I tried to invite the fewest mutual friends as possible and then one of their non-mutual friends.”

“Dude, he flirted with our boyfriends,” Iwaizumi frowns when the blonde that’s in the living room waves at him, “he flirted with me too, you know how Oikawa feels about him, man.”

“He also flirted with Kenma, did you forget that?” Tsukishima points out.

Kuroo clicks his tongue, “no... I didn’t. But hear me out, Bokuto has been feeling like straight-up shit and I feel bad. I just want to give him a chill afternoon.”

Tsukishima and Iwaizumi glance at each other.

“And!” Kuroo continues, “I’ll text Oikawa myself and tell him I’ll be looking out for you or some shit just please stay.”

“Trust me, we were going to stay regardless,” Iwaizumi glares at Terushima who is now playing Mario Kart with Bokuto, “he was going to have to leave.”

_‘Did I just fuck up again???? Two days in a row???’_

“But... if this will make Bokuto feel better then,” Iwaizumi sighs, “I guess.”

Kuroo grins, “thanks, how about you, Tsuki- Tsukishima?”

_‘I won’t call him Tsukki so that I won’t piss him off. I can’t push my luck right now.’_

Tsukishima sighs, “Iwaizumi is my ride so I guess I’m staying.”

“Yeah! That’s the spirit!” Kuroo exclaims, “but real quick, there’s one rule... don’t talk about Akaashi. Got it?”

The two men nod in agreement.

“Cool! Now come on in!” Kuroo exclaims as he pushes the door all the way open.

“Hello, boys!” Terushima greets.

“Good afternoon,” Iwaizumi replies flatly.

Terushima raises an eyebrow, “cold! C’mon, fellas! Loosen up!”

Tsukishima rolls his eyes at that.

“Holy shit, I didn’t know you guys were coming!” Bokuto exclaims, it’s not his usual excitement and he seems pretty tipsy. Iwaizumi and Tsukishima notice it because they both look slightly taken aback.

“Uh, yeah,” Tsukishima mutters.

Iwaizumi and Tsukishima sit next to Bokuto on the couch while Terushima is sitting on a chair closest to Bokuto’s side of the couch. On the other side, Kuroo is sitting on the sofa; Iwaizumi is closest to Kuroo.

“What’re you doing?” Iwaizumi asks Kuroo who is inserting an earbud into one of his ears.

“I’m editing a video for YouTube, it’s why I’m not drinking,” Kuroo replies happily, “I’m getting a job so fuck you, fuck Tsukishima, fuck Oikawa, and fuck-“ Kuroo stops himself immediately,”... others, because I’m finally getting a job.”

“Wow! A twenty-something year old with a job! What a shock!” Tsukishima comments sarcastically.

“Ay, fuck you, man,” Kuroo retorts, “Where do you work, again?”

“A museum.”

“Fuck,” Kuroo whispers, “that’s kinda cool.”

“Man, you guys have all your lives figured out,” Terushima comments.

“Well, I mean, that happens when a person tries,” Tsukishima mumbles.

Iwaizumi elbows him to which Tsukishima clicks his tongue at.

“Yo, wanna play, Iwaizumi!” Bokuto asks as he passes the remote.

“Uh, I’m good, I just got here-“

“What? Scared, Iwa-chan?” Terushima taunts.

Kuroo’s eyes dart around the room in an attempt to read the situation to figure out whether Iwaizumi was about to fight him or not. Tsukishima looks uncomfortable and the eye contact he makes with Kuroo screams “if he starts swinging I’m going to be in the middle of it so please do something.”

“It’s Iwaizumi. I’m not scared, I just don’t want to ruin your afternoon so badly,” Iwaizumi replies calmly, “hand me the controller, Bokuto.”

“Scary,” Bokuto mumbles as he gives Iwaizumi the remote.

Once the two begin the race, there’s a tense silence.

“Uh... want to hear an update about the owl outside the museum?” Tsukishima asks Bokuto.

“...no... I’m good.”

Tsukishima narrows his eyes, Kuroo can tell that Tsukishima has made a pact with himself to never try to be nice to Bokuto again.

“Fuck!” Terushima shouts, “stop blue shelling me!”

Iwaizumi has an evil grin on his face that makes Kuroo roll his eyes.

_‘He’ll kill me if I say this but he is just as petty as Oikawa.’_

Bokuto has been quiet but he doesn’t look as lost as he did earlier today.

“Do we have any more snacks, Kuroo?” Bokuto asks.

“Uh, yeah, I’ll get them, give me a sec,” Kuroo says, he uploads a clip to his editing software before balancing his laptop on the arm of the sofa and getting up. Unfortunately, Kuroo forgot to unplug his earbuds which causes his laptop to fall and for them to unplug from the laptop.

“Shit,” Kuroo curses, as he rubs his ear in pain, “that hur-“

“Hey, Akaashi.”

Everyone tenses up.

“Yes?”

“What did the other elements say to hydrogen?”

Kuroo scrambles to try to pick up his laptop.

“Oh god,” Akaashi groans, “I don’t know, Kuroo. What?”

“What a loner!”

Kuroo tries to locate the mouse as fast as possible but his frantic movements are making it hard.

There’s silence before Kuroo in the video speaks up again.

“I don’t even know why I told you this, I knew I’d get no reaction.”

“Stupid machine,” Kuroo sputters, “it won't stop-“

There’s a beat of silence before Akaashi laughs, “that was stupid, Kuroo.”

Video Kuroo can be heard laughing along with Akaashi before Kuroo can finally cut off the video.

There’s a moment of silence, Terushima is grimacing and his eyes are wide, Iwaizumi is looking at Bokuto with concern, and Tsukishima is glaring at Kuroo.

“Uh,” Kuroo pauses, “my laptop is ok.”

Bokuto was still staring at the spot on the floor where the laptop fell.

“He looks so...” Bokuto pauses, “he looks good,” he looks up at Kuroo and Kuroo wishes to jump out of the window when he sees Bokuto’s eyes, “he seems fine.”

No one speaks for a couple of seconds,

Iwaizumi’s eyes are wide as he puts a hand on Bokuto’s shoulder, “Hey, listen, man... this all happened a week ago, so trust me, Akaashi really isn’t as ok as he looks so don’t give up. Plus, he was in front of a camera, people fake their emotions all the time man.”

“Trust me, I know.”

Terushima grimaces even more before swallowing and trying to compose himself, “Uh, listen, Bokuto... you’re a cool guy! Anyone would be lucky to have you! I’m sure Akaashi still likes you and if he doesn’t then... well, that’s on him! He seems pretty boring anyway, he’s hot but you know-“

 _‘He was onto something... now he’s just rambling,’_ Kuroo thinks as he looks at Iwaizumi who looks even more pissed than before, _‘I mean, that's our friend he’s talking about I don’t blame him, I’d be just as pissed if Bokuto wasn't this upset.’_

It isn’t until Iwaizumi starts taking off his jacket and Tsukishima looks as if he won’t stop Iwaizumi from fighting Terushima that Kuroo decides to step in.

“Teru-“

“He’s not boring,” Bokuto mumbles, “he’s so cool, Terushima.”

Terushima nods awkwardly, “sorry, I- uh- I haven’t really met him so... yeah.”

“He’s hot, that’s a fact-“ Bokuto adds, he looks as if he’s remembering something and Kuroo doesn’t even want to imagine what it might be.

“We don’t need to know,” Tsukishima whispers.

“-but he’s so much more.”

There’s a beat of silence, no one knows how to respond to this.

“I’m gonna call him.”

“Now!?” Kuroo cries out.

“Yeah,” Bokuto replies, “I don’t care if he doesn’t want me, I want to hear him.”

“Hey, you’re drunk,” Iwaizumi mutters, “you should talk to him but not like this, man.”

“Yeah, I agree. From experience, this isn’t the move,” Terushima adds.

“Listen, bro, do it when you’re sober. Akaashi won’t like that,” Kuroo sits in front of Bokuto, “it’s gonna work out but not right now.”

There’s a couple beats of silence before Bokuto groans.

“This is the worst year of my life,” Bokuto murmurs as he throws an arm over his face and leans his head back on the couch, “I broke up with Aoki this year, I started falling for a guy that apparently lied to me this whole time and I-“ he sobs, “sorry. Sorry I’m crying.”

Terushima pats him on the arm, “it’s ok, we’ve all been there.”

Everyone else nods in agreement. Kuroo glances at Iwaizumi and Tsukishima who look like they’re physically holding themselves back from saying something.

 _‘We’re all friends that are just trying our best,’_ Kuroo thinks, _‘I’ve fucked up this weekend but it’s all been in the best interest,’ his eyes widen, ‘best interest... Akaashi felt that if he hid the truth then Bokuto wouldn’t be hurt. Ignorance is bliss after all... I get it.’_

Kuroo looks back at Bokuto who is in the same position, _‘Well, in some cases.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For my non-Spanish speakers, Corazón de Roca is about a love interest that has a “rock as a heart” because said love interest doesn’t like expressing emotions (specifically emotions that have to do with love).
> 
> Si Veo A Tu Mamá is a song I listened to while writing this chapter and you can tell because of the theme/the things that happen. The chorus sums it up pretty well and here’s the English version so that you have an idea of what the song is about:
> 
> I still love you  
> But I know it's a mistake  
> Because you don't love me anymore
> 
> I recommend searching up the translated version of the lyrics if you really want to get in your feelings lmao
> 
> PLEASE READ!!!!
> 
> ALSO: someone commented that they have a playlist with the music from the titles, I also have a playlist + songs that I didn’t put as the title because it would’ve been too long and I’ll link it at the end because the songs I have could be considered spoilers for later. I dunno if anyone will actually be interested in that but let me know if you guys would like to have it!
> 
> SORRY! THESE NOTES WERE SO LONG! 
> 
> AS ALWAYS: thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I think Kuroo has a very good depth of character and I wanted to explore that this chapter; I hope I was able to execute it well. I was excited to write this since I feel like Kuroo has been a big part in their journey and I just hope I did him justice.
> 
> My apologies if I didn’t/if you were disappointed ヽ(´o｀；


	15. Favorite Record - Fall Out Boy + Why Do You Feel So Down? - Declan McKenna

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bokuto and Akaashi are almost there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Favorite Record: I think both probably but a specific line applies to Akaashi but that’d be a spoiler.
> 
> Why Do You Feel So Down?: Akaashi
> 
> NOTE: sorry I haven’t updated, I didn’t like the way I wrote this chapter so I’m rewriting this part and forward so updates will take longer. 
> 
> The POVS start from Kuroo and then get a bit mixed up between Akaashi and Bokuto in the last bit, sorry if it’s confusing!!!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!’

“Akaashi~”

Akaashi frowns before looking up from behind his laptop. Kuroo has just walked out of Kenma’s room with the most shit-eating grin Akaashi has seen in a while.

“Yes, Kuroo?”

Kuroo stands in front of him, stares at him for a couple of seconds, and then thrusts his phone in Akaashi’s face unexpectedly.

“Check it, I just hit two thousand subscribers!”

Akaashi’s eyebrows shoot up, “how?”

“Mean,” Kuroo scoffs, “because I’m amazing... duh!”

Akaashi looks behind Kuroo and sees Kenma standing behind him.

“Or is it because Kenma shouted you out?”

“It’s because Kenma shouted me out _and_ because I’m amazing,” Kuroo clarifies, “people _really_ seem to like you, Akaashi~”

Akaashi rolls his eyes.

“No, look!” Kuroo clears his throat, “This commenter says, “imma simp for Akaashi, there’s just something _sooo_ hot about him”.”

“Please stop,” Akaashi groans, Kuroo’s laughter overshadows his protest.

Kenma giggles which causes Kuroo to laugh louder, “this is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

“Anyways,” Akaashi changes the subject, “how long has it been up?”

“Mmmm... about a day. Finished editing it on Tuesday but waited until the next day to drop it because I needed Kenma to help me upload it.”

“You’re such an old man, I’m surprised you were even able to edit it on your own,” Kenma mumbles as he sits on the couch, next to Akaashi.

“Does this mean you lost your bet with Bokuto, Kuroo?” Akaashi asks.

Akaashi has gotten better at dealing with the Bokuto situation. He doesn’t avoid talking or mentioning Bokuto anymore. Kuroo remembers that Akaashi told him:

“All I can do is wait for him to want to talk, I don’t gain anything from pretending he doesn’t exist... pretending he doesn’t exist is the worst thing I could do.”

Bokuto wants to talk though, that’s the thing that’s hurting Kuroo’s head. Bokuto isn’t an overly insecure or nervous person but when he is, it’s bad. He chickened out of talking to Akaashi as soon as he was sober enough. Surprisingly, after his mental breakdown over Akaashi not looking as sad as he could be, he seems better. As if he’s preparing himself for the worst. Although it’s a bit unhealthy, Kuroo is just glad Bokuto isn’t as upset as before. He thinks that another two more days or so will do, he just has to lift Bokuto’s spirits a bit more.

A final push.

Kuroo wants it to be Akaashi to reach out to Bokuto, and he doesn’t think his best friend can handle Akaashi making the first move right now. Bokuto is not _that_ mentally prepared.

“Shit! You’re right!” Kuroo cries out before flopping next to Kenma, he puts an arm around him in force of habit.

 _‘Thank god he’s too upset to notice,’_ Kuroo thinks but doesn’t voice that comment out loud.

“Well, since you’re collecting your quote-unquote YouTube Coin, you’ll actually be able to pay him,” Kenma replies as he starts playing a mobile game on his phone, subconsciously snuggling up under Kuroo’s arm.

“Damnit,” Kuroo curses.

“I thought you wanted money?” Akaashi asks.

Kuroo groans, “I mean... yeah but... not to give it to others!”

“Not even to charity?” Kenma questions.

“I mean people that don’t need the extra money, Kenma! Don’t paint me as a bad guy!”

Akaashi laughs, “well, I’m happy for you, Kuroo.”

“That’s rare... like... rarer than the flower vase jewel squid,” Kuroo mumbles, more to himself than anyone else.

“Who?”

“Exactly, Kenma,” Kuroo replies, “but thanks, Akaashi. Means a lot coming from someone who usually gives me shit and bullies me-“

“But, if people start bothering me because of the video... you’re dead,” Akaashi interrupts. He glares at Kuroo one last time before going back to whatever he was working on in his laptop.

“Ah, there he is,” Kuroo says monotonously.

“Hey, at least he admitted he’s happy for you,” Kenma quietly mumbles, not really trying to get on Akaashi’s bad side.

“Hmmm, that’s true, I’ll take it,” Kuroo whispers to Kenma before looking up at Akaashi, “but not to worry, Akaashi. You have a very strong, reliable friend that will beat anyone’s ass that tries to harass you!”

Akaashi looks up from his laptop and makes a face that looks as if he just remembered the name of an unknown song that has been playing on repeat in his head all day,snapping his fingers so hard he shakes a little, “ah yes! Daichi and Iwaizumi.”

_‘Oikawa is right... he’s a sarcastic little shit when he wants to be.’_

Kuroo clicks his tongue, “we do the exact same workout routine, the only reason they’re bigger than me is that unlike them, my homework is actually hard and takes time to do so I can’t work out as consistently.”

“Right...” Akaashi mumbles before going back to work.

The three sit and chat for a while before Kenma excuses himself to go film (he looks exhausted, Kuroo tells him so but Kenma waves him off).

“How was he today?” Akaashi asks.

“I haven’t seen him today.”

Akaashi turns to look at Kuroo, “... um,” Kuroo still can’t believe how awkward Akaashi is when asking a favor, or voicing his concerns, even after years of knowing him, “could you please go check on him? I know you said he’s going to practice now and that he seems to be doing better but... I don’t think it’s good to leave him alone until he’s the closest he can be to ok.”

“He’s more than ok, right?” Kuroo asks teasingly, using Akaashi’s words from when he complimented (if you could even call it that) Bokuto to fluster him.

Akaashi rolls his eyes with a blush, “Kuroo, please.”

Kuroo laughs, “yeah, yeah. Lemme go say bye to Kenma and I’ll go, yeah?”

Akaashi nods, “thank you again, Kuroo.”

Kuroo hums, “you don’t have to thank me for helping my best friend.”

“I know but... still, you just got here and I’m making you leave.”

“You’re not making me do anything, seriously! You’re fineeee, stop worrying so much!” Kuroo waves him off as he gets up and starts making his way to Kenma’s room. He’s halfway down the hall before calling out to Akaashi, “just let me have some sweet, passionate sex with Kenma real quick.”

“Please stop,” Akaashi groans.

Kuroo snickers before opening the door to Kenma’s room, only to be met with a frowning, blushing Kenma.

“I hate you.”

Kuroo grins, “Aw you love me.”

“Whatever, bye, I’ll see you later.”

“Cold.”

  
•••

When Kuroo walks into Bokuto’s apartment, he is cooking something while Iwaizumi is in the living room.

“Yo,” Kuroo greets as he walks in.

“You got here just in time, bro!” Bokuto exclaims, “I was just wondering if you were gonna come today so that I could make more food, you hungry?”

“Hmm... I could eat,” Kuroo replies as he nods back at Iwaizumi in a form of greeting, he goes to the fridge to get a soda, “what are you doing here, Iwaizumi?”

“We were working out and Bokuto wanted to cook but he didn’t want to cook for just himself, so I came over,” Iwaizumi replies; he’s texting someone and Kuroo doesn’t have to ask him to know that it’s Oikawa. No one is able to make Iwaizumi frown and look fond all at once like he can.

 _‘He doesn’t want to be alone,’_ Kuroo thinks, _‘shit, Akaashi was right.’_

“In other news, all of Kenma’s followers are talking about you.”

“Well, I _am_ quite charming aren’t I?” Kuroo says with a grin, causing Iwaizumi to shake his head with an annoyed look on his face.

“Oh yeah! Your video dropped! How many subscribers do you have?” Bokuto asks.

“Oh you know... two thousand and something.... it’s not that big of a deal though,” Kuroo replies with a smirk.

“YOOOO! That’s really good!” Bokuto exclaims.

“Good for you too because now he has to pay you for getting social media first,” Iwaizumi points out.

“I didn’t even think about that!”

Kuroo glares at Iwaizumi, “thanks, asshole.”

“You’re welcome, shithead.”

Bokuto laughs before taking out his phone and typing something.

“Who’re you texting?” Kuroo questions.

“No one,” Bokuto mumbles before pocketing his phone, he still has a smile on his face but he looks embarrassed.

“Bokuto, you’re still dating Akaashi. You do realize that if you’re talking to other people-“

“No! What!?” Bokuto sputters, “I’m not texting anyone, seriously!”

“Then why were you embarrassed when I asked?”

“Cause it’s embarrassing!”

“You guys sound like Kageyama and Hinata minus the sexual tension and insults,” Iwaizumi speaks up as he walks over to the two men that are still in the kitchen, “let’s not question him any further, Kuroo.” Iwaizumi says to the taller male before turning to look at Bokuto, “but, although I don’t think you’re capable of doing this, if you _are_ talking to other people, Bokuto, I swear I’ll-“

“Dude it’s not like that at all!” Bokuto interrupts again, “I- I started keeping a list of things I want to talk about with Akaashi once this whole... silent treatment thingy is over.”

Iwaizumi and Kuroo look at each other and simultaneously gag.

“What!?”

“Nothing, nothing, you guys are...” Iwaizumi trails off and makes a face.

“Oh now you have to say it, this is the craziest day of my life,” Kuroo laughs, “they’re what, Iwaizumi?”

“I don’t want to say it.”

“What!? Is it bad!? Bokuto asks, oblivious; he looks worried.

“No, it’s not... it’s good-“

“Like, _too_ good to believe it’s coming from Iwaizumi,” Kuroo snickers.

Iwaizumi sighs when he looks at Bokuto’s look of confusion, he doesn’t want to bring down his mood so he just sighs, “you guys are so into each other it’s...” Iwaizumi trails off again.

“He can’t physically say the word!” Kuroo exclaims while cackling, “are you ok!?”

“It’s what? I don’t know if this is good or not,” Bokuto questions, he looks worried.

“It’s cute,” Iwaizumi mumbles.

“Huh?” Kuroo and Bokuto ask at the same time. Kuroo asks in a more teasing tone but Bokuto actually couldn’t hear him.

“It’s cute,” Iwaizumi says slightly loud.

“What?”

“IT’S CUTE, SWEET, NICE TO SEE BUT NOT REALLY, WANT MORE WORDS OR IS THAT GOOD!?” Iwaizumi snaps.

Kuroo is still cackling but he’s trying to control his laughter so that he doesn’t get beaten up by Iwaizumi.

Bokuto rubs the back of his neck and grins, there’s a light blush on his face, “Aw, shucks, thanks.”

Iwaizumi rolls his eyes and he has a frown on his face, “your food is burning.”

“Shit!”

Kuroo is slightly calmer than before. Bokuto is turned around and his phone is in his back pocket which makes Kuroo curious. He creeps closer to Bokuto, silently and takes his phone out of his pocket.

“Hey!” Bokuto shouts.

Kuroo opens his phone and sees the note titled “Things I need to tell Akaashi about if he wants to be friends!!!!”, Iwaizumi and he huddle together to look.

“Dude!” Bokuto shouts as he tries to get back his phone. The two turn away, their backs facing Bokuto, Kuroo has an arm extended to push Bokuto away. There’s a moment of silence before Kuroo speaks up.

“Bokuto...” Kuroo whispers.

“... what the hell!?” Iwaizumi finishes.

The note is so long that the scroll bar is the smallest it can possibly be.

Bokuto flushes, “we talk a lot!”

“And by “we” you mean _you_ talk a lot and Akaashi listens?” Kuroo questions with a smirk.

“No! He talks too!”

Iwaizumi turns to Kuroo, “he does talk a bit, he hates you so you wouldn’t know.”

“And he likes _you_?” Kuroo retorts.

Iwaizumi shrugs, “more than he likes you.”

“I’m hurt!”

“To be honest I think he likes _anyone_ more than you,” Iwaizumi continues.

“You’ve been hanging out with Tsukki too much,” Bokuto laughs.

Kuroo clicks his tongue, “wait so does that list mean that you’re going to talk to him soon?”

“And that you’re going to break it off?” Iwaizumi asks, his face looks scary, “cause it says “if he wants to be friends”.”

“Uh,” Bokuto begins nervously as he turns back around to check the food that’s on the stove, “I’m too nervous if I’m being honest... but! I think I’ll be able to talk soon, I just have to have everything I need to say prepared.”

“Ok, now _you’ve_ been hanging out too much with Akaashi,” Kuroo replies.

“Yeah, that’s not like you at all,” Iwaizumi adds, “... and you didn’t answer,” his voice sounds just as scary as his face right now, “Are you thinking about ending it with him?”

“I just don’t want to fuck it up you know? I wanna have this conversation right... also, Iwaizumi, I was getting to this, I want to emotionally prepare in case he just wants to be friends because he never liked me, ya know? I’m a very sensitive person so I need to do all that before I see him in person but, hey! Who’s even thinking about that last part haha.”

“Makes sense,” Kuroo says, “but I’ve told you this a million times, he likes you. Other than that, you seem better, more emotionally stable soooo... I think you guys really need to talk soon.”

Bokuto nods, “Yeah, you’re right... I miss him so much.”

Iwaizumi hums as if its second nature. Having to work out with Bokuto means talking for an hour or so. An hour is enough for Bokuto to repeat things and so far, the one thing that never fails to be repeated is how much Bokuto misses Akaashi. It’s now second nature for Iwaizumi to hum when “miss” and “Akaashi” are in the same sentence.

“Hey, dude, I think we should go out tomorrow,” Kuroo says with a grin, “You haven’t gone anywhere but practice, the gym, and back so let’s go somewhere! I think it’ll give you more confidence.”

“How so?” Bokuto asks.

“Cause you’re going to interact with people that aren’t your close friends you see every day,” Kuroo replies, “it’ll get you back in the habit of talking to people you know?”

“I see, so you think that since he’s been locked away he won’t know how to talk to people?” Iwaizumi walks over to where Bokuto just placed the cooked salmon and takes out a piece, “hmm... I guess that makes sense.”

“Yeah... yeah! You’re right!” Bokuto exclaims, “we’re going out tomorrow, Iwaizumi you’re down right?”

Iwaizumi hums, “can’t, I already promised Oikawa I’d go out with him on Friday.”

“Date night?” Bokuto asks.

“Ummm... not really,” Iwaizumi answers awkwardly.

“You guys going back home?” Kuroo interrogates, “catching up with the in-laws?”

“They’re not my in-laws,” Iwaizumi replies, he gives Kuroo a look but Kuroo doesn’t understand what it means.

Or maybe he does.

“YOU’RE PROPOSING?”

Iwaizumi looks at him with disgust and disbelief all at once, with a hint of “Kuroo, that’s not what I meant.

“No.”

“Why not?” Bokuto asks.

“Because it’s Oikawa and I won’t give him the satisfaction of me getting on one knee for him and asking him to do something that basically shows that I’d die for him,” Iwaizumi replies.

“Your words, not his or ours,” Bokuto mumbles.

“I don’t know why you worry, Iwaizumi. You’ve already gotten on your knees for him so what’s the big deal?” Kuroo says in a teasing tone.

Iwaizumi glares at him, “watch your mouth, Kuroo.”

“I’m joking!” Kuroo laughs, “but we all know that you’ve probably given him that wet, wet sloppy toppy so it’s ok.”

“Why’d you have to call it that that?” Iwaizumi laughs, he looks like he wants to be mad but the phrasing threw him off guard.

“Oh! You’ve given him that triple whirlwind spin,” Bokuto adds.

“Please, stop.”

Kuroo cackles, “this is too good.”

“Get the plates, I’ll serve you guys,” Bokuto says once he is done laughing.

The two other men nod as they hand Bokuto the plates. Once Bokuto has served their food, he hands it to them and the three go sit in the living room.

“Wait, I just thought of something,” Kuroo says suddenly after a few minutes of silence; they were too busy chewing.

“Hm?” Iwaizumi asks.

“We didn’t say that you’ve slobbed on his knob!”

“Like corn on the cob?” Bokuto adds.

Iwaizumi chokes on his rice.

•••

“Look at us!” Terushima exclaims, “after what happened on Sunday, who would’ve thought?”

“Not me,” Kuroo replies with a smirk, “jokes, just jokes. You’re not too bad, Terushima.”

“Your boyfriend isn’t too bad either.”

“Andddddd you ruined it,” Kuroo mumbles with a frown.

Kuroo has learned by now that Terushima is naturally a flirty guy. He flirts with anyone and everyone but he’s actually quite respectful when it comes to other people’s relationships. In his words:

“I wouldn’t actually steal someone’s girl or man, that’s too mean.”

So, Kuroo is slightly more comfortable with hanging out with him.

Slightly.

“So to what do we owe this gathering to?” Terushima asks with a stereotypical upperclassman, British accent.

“Kuroo says we’re here to make me more comfortable with talking to people,” Bokuto explains.

Terushima quirks an eyebrow and whistles lowly, “Bokuto you sly dog! Didn’t know you were like this but I can’t judge! I saw this twink when we walked in that may be your type, I dunno-“

“What?” It sounds more like a statement but Bokuto and Kuroo were thrown so off guard that they couldn’t help but look at Terushima blankly.

“Oh, I thought you were trying to... _talk_ to people.”

“No, man! He’s still dating Akaashi!” Kuroo sounds as if he’s scolding him.

“Sorry, but what can I say! We’re in a bar!” Terushima defends.

“Hmm... okay, you have a point,” Kuroo replies.

“So, you gonna try to talk to him soon?” Terushima asks.

“Yeah, I just have to get comfortable with talking and I think I’ll be fine,” Bokuto answers with a smile.

Kuroo takes a sip of his drink before speaking again, “and you have to mentally prepare yourself, can’t forget that.”

“He doesn’t have to know that!”

“No, I really did, thank you,” Terushima says with a smirk, “I can’t judge, dude. We all have to mentally prepare ourselves for stuff right?”

“Your favorite line is “I can’t judge”, huh?”

Terushima shrugs, “I’m an open-minded person.”

“Or you’re just a person that has made too many mistakes.”

“Anyways!” Bokuto interrupts, “I’m glad I decided to come. I didn’t realize how much I missed going out.”

“Good! You know, when I was seventeen...”

Kuroo looks down at his glass and lets his mind wander. He feels good and he’s remembering all the things that have happened in the last week and he’s glad that all of that is over now. Things are looking up.

Speaking of looking up, Kuroo doesn’t know why but he felt the need to do so.

_‘Oh... that’s why.’_

Kenma is at the door, staring at him.

 _‘Why the hell is he here?’_ Kuroo thinks before feeling his stomach drop.

_‘Right, cause I told him to go out with Akaashi last week.’_

Behind Kenma are all his friends, including Akaashi, and they’re all making their way inside.

_‘I fucked up again, everything I’ve tried to do has lead to failure what the hell!?’_

Kenma is staring at him and his eyes go from Kuroo to Bokuto. Hinata notices them and unlike Kenma, he can’t hide anything. He sputters but the group is listening to whatever Oikawa has to say so they don’t hear him or even look at him; only Kageyama spares him a glance.

“Uh, let’s go...” Hinata says to the group, after that, Kuroo can’t hear anything.

“Dude are you good?” Bokuto asks, elbowing him.

“Huh?”

Bokuto tuts as if he is someone’s mother but his playful laughter gives away that he’s joking around, “you’re a married man, you can’t be looking at other men-“

His smile drops when he looks over at what Bokuto is looking at. Akaashi is staring back now, his eyes are wide in the way that signifies that he’s shocked.

Terushima grimaces, his eyes dart back in forth from his friends to the other group frantically. He looks at Kuroo as if to say “this is bad and awkward and I just hope the floor opens up right now so that I can disappear. You’re seeing this too right?”.

Both groups are quiet, both frozen in place and exchanging awkward glances. The bigger group is closer to the trio’s table since it took them a couple of seconds to notice them.

Akaashi bites his lip nervously and Bokuto is still frozen in place. There are a few beats of silence before anyone speaks up.

“Um, I- I have to go,” Bokuto announces, fumbling with his words before getting up shakily. He grabs his jacket that was draped over the back of his seat and gets up. The two make eye contact for a split second as Bokuto walks past him.

Once he’s gone, Akaashi takes in a shaky breath.

_‘He looks really hurt.’_

“Hey-“ Kuroo begins.

“I have to go too, sorry,” Akaashi mumbles as he turns around slowly and makes his way to the door. Akaashi looks almost disoriented, the surprise and Bokuto’s reaction must’ve been too much for him.

_‘It’s late too, shit... he’s probably drunk.’_

Once he’s gone, everyone’s eyes are on Kuroo.

“Should someone go after them?” Yamaguchi asks.

“I... I don’t know,” Kuroo replies.

_‘I really don’t, everything I do is bad, I keep messing stuff up for others.’_

“Hey,” Kuroo jumps at the voice and the hand that was just placed on his shoulder. He looks up at the person who it all belonged to, “you didn’t know. You’re ok.”

_‘Kenma. Once again, you are able to ground me back into reality.’_

Kuroo nods, “ok.”

“Ok... good.”

•••

To say Akaashi is stunned is an understatement.

_‘I thought he wanted to talk to me soon, I thought we were going to be able to solve this but he could barely look at me what the fuc-‘_

Akaashi’s thoughts are interrupted when he bumps into a group of intoxicated people around his age. He was walking through the college campus, the bar he was at was near so the street was filled with university students coming and going, from or to their dorms.

“Sorry,” Akaashi mumbles before moving aside.

“Hey, wait hold on!” A guy slurs, he stops walking which causes his four other friends to stop walking too, “I know you!”

Akaashi frowns, _‘I can’t do this right now.’_

“Oh?”

“Yeah! You- holy shit! You were in that video! The one Kodzuken’s friend made! What was his name? Kazoo?”

Akaashi couldn’t help but let out a short laugh, “Uh.. I think you have me confused sorry.”

“No, no!” The guy’s friend shouts, she’s a girl and she looks really, really, _really_ drunk, “it’s totally you! The hot guy!”

_‘Alright, she’s yelling now, this is too much, I’m leaving.’_

“No, sorry, I don’t even know who you’re talking about,” Akaashi replies, “have a good night.”

Akaashi turns around and begins to walk but a grip on his wrist stops him from walking, “no, dude you’re one hundred percent that dude, c’mon give us your autograph or something.”

“I seriously don’t know what you’re talking about,” Akaashi responds as he yanks his wrist out of the one of the man’s hand, “please leave me alone.”

He begins to walk again and this time he’s not stopped. Akaashi has been walking for three minutes and he feels his heart drop when he hears the group behind him.

_‘They’re following me.’_

Akaashi feels himself begin to panic but he takes a deep breath and turns the corner. Before he can think about it, he’s running. They’re far enough to not see him take off but once they turn the corner, they start chasing him as fast as a group of drunk college students can. Akaashi turns another corner before turning into another just as quick, hoping to lose the group. His head is pounding and his drunken state isn’t allowing him to be as fast as he’d usually be.He’s running down a street and almost falls when he’s yanked by his arm into an alley. Akaashi is shoved against the wall, he lets out a yelp before a hand flies to his mouth.

_‘Holy shit, holy shit, holy sHIT HOLY SHIT-‘_

Akaashi’s breathing quickens but he quickly composes himself and tries to bite the hand of whoever it is that just pulled him.

“Hey, shh, Akaashi it’s ok, be quiet.”

Akaashi’s eyes widen at the all too familiar voice. The group of five that had been chasing Akaashi rush past the small, dark alley in an effort to find out where he had run off to. Once they’re gone, Bokuto’s hand comes off.

“Sorry I was so rough and I’m sorry I scared you, I saw them following you so I began to follow you. When they started chasing you I thought this would’ve happened so I just... ran ahead of you, I don’t think I could take on three guys and two girls and- uh,” Bokuto pauses before talking to him in a soft tone, “are you ok?”

Akaashi’s is staring at him with wide eyes, “just shaken up.”

“Yeah, I can only imagine,” Bokuto replies, “I’m sorry you had to go through that, what’d they say to you? Do you know why they started to follow you?”

“I think they were trying to find out where Kenma lives,” Akaashi whispers, “thank you, I’m glad it was you.”

“Me too,” Bokuto replies, “I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you-“ Bokuto stops talking and clenches his jaw.

Akaashi feels like crying.

_‘I missed him so much.’_

Akaashi is so distracted he doesn’t feel the moment Bokuto takes Akaashi’s phone out of his jacket pocket. Bokuto sends their location to the group chat and tells them to come get Akaashi. He hands Akaashi’s phone back to him and Akaashi takes it shakily.

“I can stay with you if you want... until our friends get here.”

Akaashi nods slowly, “please.”

Bokuto feels his heart clench, “Uh... yeah.”

The two stand in silence for a couple of seconds before any of the two speak up.

“So... apart from that, how are you?” Bokuto asks.

Akaashi’s eyebrows furrow in confusion, “huh?”

Bokuto shrugs, “you know... how are you doing?”

“I... Bokuto, I’ve been so worried about you. Don’t ask me that question as if nothing happened, please.”

“Well, you just seem to be doing good, I thought you were... over what happened... over _us_ ,” Bokuto mumbles.

“What makes you think that?” Akaashi asks, he looks hurt, “I- I know I may not show what I’m feeling often but I mean, you have _got_ to know by now that I’ve done things with you that I’ve never done for anyone else-“

“Akaashi, you can’t blame me for thinking that. You pretended to like me-“

“I get it, I do but listen, I- I told you that I liked you after I broke off the deal with Aoki” Akaashi interrupts, his eyes are watery and Bokuto’s eyes dart around his face before noting that Akaashi is drunk. It was late after all, knowing how Oikawa is, Bokuto realizes that they must’ve gone bar hopping, “remember when I- I told you to never question that... I said that after I had broken the deal off. Don’t you think that if I really didn’t like you... if I really didn’t care then I would’ve left as soon as it was over?” Akaashi asks, his eyes dart around Bokuto’s face before sighing, “listen, Bokuto... I’m drunk, let’s not argue. You don’t know the full story so let’s talk about this some other time when I’m sober... when... when _we’re_ sober. It didn’t seem like you wanted to talk at the bar so let’s not force it, right?”

Bokuto’s eyes widen, “hey, Akaashi-“

“Look,” Akaashi slurs, “I’m- I’m gonna go find the other guys-“

“Aka-“

“Text me when you _really_ want to talk and... and when you’re not forcing yourself to do so,” Akaashi pauses and Bokuto realizes that Akaashi is nervous, full of doubts and insecurities. He looks vulnerable and weak in a way Bokuto has never seen or imagined him before, “I fucked up, I don’t expect you to forgive me but... I just want you to know that I cared for you... that I do. I’m not ok with all that’s happening, so please don’t think that. I’ll wait for you as long as you want, seriously... I’ll see you around, ok?”

Akaashi stumbles away, Bokuto is still staring at the wall Akaashi was just leaning on. He feels tears roll down his eyes before he hears Akaashi sniffle.

“Akaashi,” Bokuto whispers before scrambling to grab his arm. Akaashi freezes when he feels him and he turns around to look at Bokuto, his eyes are wide, “Akaashi! You- you can’t leave like this.”

Akaashi clenches his jaw and his face scrunches up to stop himself from crying, “Bokuto, please let’s talk when we know what we’re doing-“

“Akaashi...” Bokuto trails off, the other man looks at him expectantly.

 _‘I’m frozen,’_ Bokuto thinks, _‘This is the first time this has ever happened to me, I can’t say what I want to say. I want to say that he’s all I can think about. That I’m sure that his reasons weren’t bad, Kuroo would’ve told me if they were. That I’ve been wanting to talk and that I don’t feel forced to do so.’_

Akaashi tries to pull away, “Bokuto, not now, seriously. Let’s talk when we’re ok, please. Go home, go to bed, we can talk in the morning if you really want to-“

“Akaashi,” Bokuto whispers, “I- I just- I want to know... I want to know why all this shit happened so that we can go back to how things were...”

Akaashi stares at him with wide, teary eyes, “Not now... you’re not thinking straight. This is probably like when a person drunk texts an ex or something, I want you to do it in your own time, even if it means that I have to wait-“

“But you don’t have to!” Bokuto interrupts, “this isn’t like that at all! I’m tipsy!”

“Tipsy is not sober-“

“But it’s close!”

“Bokuto, let me go.”

Those words make Bokuto’s heart clench, “I can’t... I don’t think I could ever, that’s why I want to talk.”

Akaashi swallows, “I meant physically.”

“Plea-“

“Let me go,” Akaashi says in a louder voice, “please, you’ll get where I’m coming from in the morning but just-“

“Akaashi...”

“Let me go,” Akaashi says just as loud but slightly weaker, “you’re not ready...”

“Who says?”

“I _know_ , Bokuto... I know trust me,” Akaashi’s tears are falling down his face freely.

“It’s hard to right now, that’s why I want to talk.”

Akaashi is about to open his mouth but Bokuto interrupts him.

“I just miss you so much,” Bokuto whispers as more tears fall down his face.

“I do too,” Akaashi confesses, his voice is wavering but he raises his voice slightly, “I don’t want to fuck this up so please let me go-“

“AKAASHI!”

They both flinch at the loud sound of Iwaizumi’s voice.

Iwaizumi, Oikawa, Kenma, and Kuroo are there. The group’s eyes widen when they’re greeted by the sight of Bokuto grabbing his arm and Akaashi in the midst of pulling away.

Iwaizumi raises an eyebrow, his eyes dart around to try to figure out what exactly is happening. Trying to deem whether or not Bokuto and Akaashi are fighting. He ultimately decides to just pull Akaashi towards him and the others, “both of you need to go home, you guys are intoxicated.”

“What a dad,” Kuroo mutters as he makes his way to Bokuto, “c’mon Bokuto.”

Bokuto is still frozen in place when Kuroo puts a hand on his shoulder. He lets himself be pulled by Kuroo before he snaps out of it. He turns around quickly, and puts a hand on Akaashi’s shoulder, Bokuto looks at him in the eyes, “tomorrow... we’ll talk tomorrow... promise?”

Akaashi nods, “I’ll call you tomorrow... promise.”

Bokuto lets out a shaky breath, “good.”

He walks away from Akaashi before turning around again to give everyone else a quick nod. When he reaches Kuroo, he looks visibly less tense.

“Did it go well?”

“No,” Bokuto replies, “but he says we’re talking tomorrow,” he wipes away his tear-soaked cheek, “so, hey... I guess it’s going better.”

Kuroo hums, “yeah, you know what they said, “sometimes you gotta break something apart to build it back up stronger than before”, no?”

“Hm... yeah but we didn’t go anywhere, we’re both drunk and sad so we just had a back and forth,” Bokuto mumbles, he looks calmer but he still looks hurt. 

“Well... let’s just go with my analogy, it was cooler.”

“Yeah... but, Kuroo?”

“Hm?”

“I think you were right... I think he does like me.”

Kuroo looks at him with a deadpan expression, “you _think_?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WAHHHHH WE’RE NEARING THE END!!!!!!
> 
> I HAVE A COUPLE STORIES WRITTEN THAT I MAY OR MAY NOT POST IDK IF ANYONE WOULD BE INTERESTED??? I HAVE AN UNCOMPLETED TSUKKIYAMA AND ANOTHER BOKUAKA FIC WITH ANOTHER REALLY STRANGE PLOT
> 
> ^^^ let me know if you guys would actually be interested in me posting more stories and please give me a ship you’d like for me to write about (IwaOi stans... I’ve heard you, I’ve been busy with this fic but I promise I’ve been considering it, I’m just thinking of ideas rn).
> 
> ANYWAYS
> 
> Thank you so much for reading and being patient with me! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!!! My technique to try to get my dialogue to sound smooth is kind of weird and the amount of tries it took for me to get the last bit decent or right... phew... I looked crazy by the end of it.


	16. Can’t Get Over You - Joji  + Get It Together - Drake + Baby Boy - Kevin Abstract + Sunflower - Rex Orange County + Sanctuary - Joji

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akaashi doesn’t know whether he should talk to Bokuto or not; Bokuto is suffering. 
> 
> Will they finally talk this chapter or are they going to let this drag on?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All of the songs are just the vibe of this chapter I think. I had so many songs I wanted to add so I’m sorry the chapter title is so long (⌒-⌒; ), believe it or not there are a lot more songs I wish I could’ve added.
> 
> ALSO: sorry it took so long for me to write, I didn’t know how I wanted this conversation to sound like (look like?) and when I did it was really hard to do so, I hope you guys aren’t disappointed.
> 
> As always, please enjoy :)

Akaashi opens his eyes with a groan. He had woken up at six am like usual and had taken some medicine for his headache before going back to bed. Apparently, it wasn’t very useful considering the fact that Akaashi’s headache feels worse than what it did before.

“We should probably stop drinking as much as we do,” Kenma says quietly.

Akaashi frowns and sits up as carefully as possible. His head may hurt like hell but unfortunately (or fortunately) all the memories from last night come flooding back. Kenma must’ve been waiting for him to wake up; the smaller man is sitting on the edge of Akaashi’s bed with his phone on his lap.

“I made you some chamomile tea,” Kenma continues, pointing at the mug that is sitting on top of his nightstand, “are you ok?”

Akaashi nods slowly before reaching over for the mug.

“I’m sorry about last night, Akaashi,” Kenma mumbles, “I promise you not all of my fans are like that. I tweeted something about it so I hope no one else tries to do something as stupid as that again.”

“It’s ok, it’s not your fault,” Akaashi replies after swallowing down the tea.

Kenma hums, “I know, I still feel guilty though.”

Akaashi hums in acknowledgment. The two sit in silence for a couple of seconds, Akaashi drinks the tea while Kenma plays with his bedsheets.

“It’s like... one in the afternoon, so you should probably call Bokuto soon.”

Akaashi puts down his mug softly before answering just as soft, “I don’t know.”

Kenma quirks an eyebrow ever so slightly, “what do you mean?”

“I mean,” Akaashi says as he begins to lay back down, “I don’t know if I’m going to call him.”

Kenma makes a confused face, “... Akaashi... that makes no sense. Why is this even a question?”

“Because... what if he was just saying those things because he was drunk? I’ll have to talk to Kuroo first, I don’t want to- no, sorry, I- I can’t fuck this up,” Akaash replies, he brings the cover over his face and closes his eyes, “what if it’s like when someone drunk texts their ex? Like what if he doesn’t mean it now that he’s sober?”

There’s silence from Kenma. Akaashi hears him get up and move around before the blankets are pulled off of him. Akaashi frowns.

“Akaashi, I can’t let you destroy your chance like this,” Kenma’s voice is in its usual quiet tone but there’s a slight edge to it, “the only way you _can_ fuck this up is by _not_ calling. Also, that analogy or whatever is not the same because you guys aren’t exes, you guys are dating. So that means he most likely doesn’t regret talking to you, maybe he regrets talking to you in that state but never talking to you period. Plus... Uh...” Kenma pauses and subconsciously glances to his side, he frowns when he remembers that Kuroo isn’t there to finish his sentence that he doesn’t really want to share, “plus... li- as that saying goes... uh... drunk words are sober thoughts.”

“... Kenma, no offense but you of all people can’t preach about chasing after things when you hate doing that yourself, you’re just like me,” Akaashi retorts sharply, his frown softens and his eyes widen when he sees that Kenma looks taken aback, “sorry, I didn’t mean that.”

“I know,” Kenma replies, “and I know I’m just like you. A coward. We both suck at showing our emotions and I think that’s what stops us from chasing things... but, Akaashi. I chased one thing- one person- and it was the best thing that ever happened to me, maybe it’ll be the same for you,” Kenma pauses, “Listen, you’re going to break one day, Akaashi. One day all of your emotions are going to come pouring out and it’ll be worse than when Hinata, Oikawa, and the rest visited. I know because it happens to all of us that are like that. So think about it, if you’re going to break, might as well let yourself break in front of a person worth breaking for... take it from me, someone just like you.”

Akaashi clenches his jaw, “... I’ll think about it.”

Kenma nods slowly before getting up, “well you need to think fast, you promised you’d call him today.”

Akaashi nods again slowly.

_‘He talks so softly, I still don’t think he knows how impactful his words are.’_

Once Kenma is gone, Akaashi sighs and covers his face up again.

_‘I’ll talk to Kuroo first, it all depends on what he says.’_

Akaashi yawns; the tea, his current dilemma, and the headache are not helping him want to stay conscious.

Without even realizing it, Akaashi goes back to sleep.

  
•••

“It’s four,” Bokuto mumbles.

“Yep.”

There’s a few beats of silence before Kuroo bites his lip, he decides against his better judgement to speak up, “Bokuto if Akaashi doesn’t cal-“

“He will.”

Kuroo goes silent, “listen, Akaashi is... an anxious person. Akaashi never makes the first move, and you know what they say, bad habits are hard to break, so just in case he doesn’t-“

“He’s different with me, no? That’s what you said.”

“Well,” Kuroo pauses, “I guess you’re right.”

Bokuto hums, “he’ll call... I just wish he’d hurry up.”

“Me too,” Kuroo mumbles.

Bokuto is sitting on the couch, he has been since he woke up. His phone is in his hands, waiting for a text or a call from Akaashi. Kuroo is sitting on the floor, nose buried in a textbook.

“I don’t know how I’ll react if he doesn’t,” Bokuto confesses.

“Honestly, I’d be hella upset,” Kuroo replies.

Bokuto hums in agreement. The two sit in silence for a couple of seconds before Bokuto sits up abruptly, causing Kuroo to look up just as fast.

“I’ll go crazy if I just sit here!” Bokuto cries out, “I’m going to take a shower, I’ll get ready, and shit so that when he calls me I’ll be good to go.”

Kuroo quirks an eyebrow, “good to go where?”

Bokuto shrugs, “I dunno, but if he wants to meet up somewhere then I have to be ready.”

“Fair enough,” Kuroo replies before Bokuto runs to his room, “Why’re you going so fast for?”

“Just in case he calls me right now!”

Kuroo sighs, he waits until Bokuto is in the bathroom to look at the text Kenma sent him two hours ago.

* * *

Kitten 🥺💞💕

* * *

sure

I love you!!!

love you too

You said it back :D

I felt sorry for you

D:

  
Today 1:36 

  
How’s Akaashi?

not good

he went back to bed

Oh... so he’s stressed,  
stressed

  
yep, he doesn’t know whether   
he should call Bokuto or not

huh???

he thinks Bokuto was just   
drunk so he’ll call you later   
to ask if it’s ok for him to   
call or not. 

oh, Akaashi...

* * *

Kuroo almost wants to call Akaashi to wake him up and tell him to make things right.

 _‘I can’t blame Akaashi for thinking that, I would’ve thought that too, but what makes this so upsetting is that they’re both idiots who just don’t know how to communicate,’_ Kuroo bites his tongue, _‘I can’t force myself into this one. Another fuck up and I don’t think I could face any of them again... plus, Bokuto might think Akaashi doesn’t care if I tell him he went back to sleep.’_

So Kuroo stays put and goes back to reading the material he has to have memorized by Monday.

Nothing sticks.

Once Bokuto is dressed, he doesn’t even bother doing his hair. He sits back on the couch and watches his phone as he balances it on his fingers.

They sit like that for another hour.

Bokuto huffs and flops on the couch, “it’s five thirty-something.”

Kuroo doesn’t reply.

“Why hasn’t he called?”

“He’s,” Kuroo hesitates, “he’s probably sleeping.”

“At this time?” Bokuto questions.

“Yeah, Kenma told me he woke up at around one and went back to bed,” Kuroo explains, “sorry for not telling you that when it happened, I thought he’d be up sooner... but on a brighter note, he should be waking up soon.”

Bokuto has no reaction.

 _‘I’m honestly starting to get nervous,’_ Kuroo thinks, _‘he never sleeps this much but he hasn’t called or texted me yet either so that means he is sleeping, right? Also, did I just piss off Bokuto?’_

Bokuto hums, “I’m going to take a nap.”

Kuroo nods absentmindedly.

“If he doesn’t call by the time I wake up... I dunno...” Bokuto whispers, “... I want to hear him out but this would be almost too much I think... even if he was drunk, he still promised... I’m sure someone would’ve reminded him that he did. If he lied about coming today then... I dunno, I feel like that would mean he can lie about other things too... that’s kind of dramatic but do you get what I mean?”

“I get it... although I don’t think he has lied to you in any other way... you know, considering the fact that when you talk about Akaashi, you talk about the same Akaashi I’ve known since high school, just... nicer and in a less platonic way.”

“Hm... whatever, I don’t know anymore,” Bokuto mumbles in return before rolling over on his side.

Kuroo rolls his eyes, “drama queen.”

Once he knows for sure that Bokuto is asleep, he purses his lips before out his phone.

•••

“I hope I don’t get killed,” Kenma whispers to himself before turning the volume of the television up to the highest setting it can possibly go.

Kenma starts up Minecraft; The music blares through the room and he winces.

 _‘He better wake up,’_ Kenma thinks with a frown on his face, _‘If he doesn’t then that means I just lost my hearing in vain.’_

He keeps his eyes on the television, not wanting it to look staged.

_‘Akashi is smart though, he’ll know I did it on purpose.’_

A few minutes pass, about three, before Kenma feels someone tap his shoulder.

“Hm?” Kenma hums as he turns around, Akaashi looks disheveled and his eyes look tired.

“It’s too loud,” Akaashi says, his voice is slightly raised so that he can be heard, “you woke me up.”

“Sorry,” Kenma replies, grabbing the remote control to turn down the volume, once it's down to a reasonable level, he speaks, “well, I guess it’s a good thing that I went overboard with the volume. You were about to waste the whole day sleeping.”

Akaashi hums in reply and goes to the fridge, he takes out a cup of yogurt before getting a spoon. Without another word, he starts heading to his room.

Kenma watches him the whole way, he huffs out a breath of annoyance before facing the television once again, _‘I’m not going to force him. If he doesn’t go then that’s on him.’_

Akaashi slips into his room quietly. He sits on his bed, opens his yogurt, and eats it slowly. For the first time in a while his mind is blank. He eats his yogurt in silence, with nothing on his mind except for what time he should try to sleep. He stays like this until he is finishes the cup, a couple of seconds pass before his breath hitches.

_‘What am I doing?? Am I really going to pretend nothing happened? I said pretending he doesn’t exist is the worst thing I could do and now he’s waiting for me and I’m sitting here doing exactly just that.’_

Akaashi pats the bed frantically with his free hand to blindly look for his phone. Once he feels the device, he tries to open it but realizes it’s dead.

“Shit,” Akaashi whispers before biting his lip.

_‘I could just show up to Bokuto’s apartment, he won’t mind.’_

A part of Akaashi immediately tosses that idea away, _‘That’s stupid. You can't just show up uninvited, and what if he really doesn’t want to talk to you?’_

_‘If that were true then he wouldn’t have said that at all. Plus, it’s Bokuto, he cares about me, we’re dating... what the hell? Why have I been so distant? Why haven’t I made an effort? I’m dating him. Like Oikawa said, it’s not over yet.’_

_‘Ok, but what if he doesn’t feel that way anymore?’_

_‘Ok, but what if he does?’_

Akaashi feels his breath become uneven ever so slightly, he bites his lip harder.

“There’s only one way to find out,” he whispers.

Before he can overthink anything else, Akaashi puts his empty yogurt cup on his nightstand and gets up hurriedly. He puts on a random pair of black jeans and an oversized sweatshirt. Akaashi doesn’t even check if his socks match before putting them on, he looks at himself in the mirror and comes to the conclusion that he looks rough. Before he can think any further, he grabs one of his dad caps he got from Oikawa for his birthday. He has never worn any of them but today seems like the day to do so. The raven-haired man snatches his glasses from his nightstand before he exits the room.

Akaashi leaves his room loudly and clumsily, which isn’t like him to do so.

“Akaashi?”

“I have to go Kenma, I’ll be back soon... or not depending on how it goes, I’ll text you later,” Akaashi replies as he practically runs to the door. He slips on a pair of shoes that are next to the door, once he’s done, he looks at Kenma who is staring at him very confused.

“Thank you,” Akaashi says quietly, before opening the door behind him and leaving.

Akaashi is out of his apartment building when he realizes he forgot his phone.

He stops walking, _‘If I go back, I’ll stay in, I just know it,’_ Akaashi takes a deep breath and then begins to walk faster than before, _‘I’m already outside... I need to take this chance.’_

•••

“What time is it, Kuroo?” Bokuto mumbles.

Kuroo flinches at the sound of his voice, he had been so concentrated on his messages with Kenma that he didn’t even notice that Bokuto was stirring awake.

“Like... six twenty-three,” Kuroo answers.

Bokuto huffs, “he hasn’t called has he?”

Kuroo is quiet, “Uh... no, but-“

Bokuto sits up faster than Kuroo has ever seen anyone move. Once he’s sitting up, his foot is tapping and he clenches his jaw. He breathes in, holds his breath, and then exhales loudly (Kuroo can tell that he’s hurt). Before Kuroo can say anything, Bokuto is up; He rushes to his room.

“Hey, Bo... listen-“

Bokuto comes back out with shoes in one hand. His aura intimidates Kuroo ever so slightly and even causes his eyes to widen.

_‘Scary...’_

_‘... Wait a minute,’_ Kuroo’s eyes go back to normal as he sighs, _‘this is Bokuto.’_

“What are you doing?” Kuroo asks.

“I’m gonna go see him,” Bokuto mumbles as he ties one of his shoelaces aggressively.

“You don’t have to go-“

“I do.”

“No, you don’t because Akaashi-“

“Akaashi doesn’t want to talk!” Bokuto shouts, Kuroo looks surprised, Bokuto is breathing harder and his eyes are watery. He looks down to his feet before slowly going back to tying his other shoe, “sorry, just... you’re probably gonna say that if he doesn’t want to talk then I shouldn’t force him, right? That’s what you’re going to say.... but Kuroo... He hurt me. I’m not the one that should be thinking like that! He doesn’t have the right to leave me in the dark as if I’m the one that fucked up,” Bokuto replies shakily, tears fall out of his eyes as he finishes with his shoes.

“He’s not leaving you in the dark, he’s on his-“

Bokuto gets up quickly and makes his way to the door. Kuroo gets up fast and goes after him in an attempt to stop him from going out.

“Dude!”

Bokuto’s hand darts for the doorknob and Kuroo’s hand is on his wrist just as fast. The shorter of the two opens the door and Kuroo tries to shove him out of the way.

“Kuroo-“ Bokuto yelps as he tries to shove him away with his free hand, Kuroo uses his body to push him aside and the hand that isn’t on his wrist is on the door, trying to close it back up.

“You’re such an idiot, listen to me! He’s on his wa-“

Kuroo stops mid-sentence when Bokuto stops holding his ground, Kuroo turns to look at whatever made Bokuto stop resisting.

Akaashi is standing on the other side of the door. His eyes are wide and he looks undeniably nervous.

“I- uh-“ Bokuto says, his eyes are wider than Kuroo has ever seen them and Kuroo almost wants to give Akaashi an award for being able to accomplish something never thought to be possible.

“I’ll leave you two alone,” Kuroo mumbles as he straightens up, he gives the two a look that says “please don’t fuck this up” before leaving.

Akaashi and Bokuto stare at each other in silence, not really believing that the other is actually there, sober and real.

“Hello... um... can I come in?” Akaashi asks sheepishly.

Bokuto can’t help but nod his head dumbly, “Uh... hi, yeah, come in.”

Once the door is closed behind Akaashi, it takes all of Bokuto’s strength not to give Akaashi a hug and tell him how much he has missed him. The thought gets pushed aside and Bokuto becomes aware of how tense the room feels; he also realizes that he doesn’t know what to do.

“Akaashi-“

“Bokuto-“

The two stare at each other in awe for a moment before giggling softly. The air suddenly seems less thick now. After they’re composed, there is a faint smile on each other’s faces.

“It’s just like when...” Bokuto drifts off.

Akaashi looks down and nods, the smile on his face becomes a sad one, “yeah.”

“You know... I read that book in two days,” Bokuto says, “to this day, I don’t know if it was because I got it from you or if it was because I was just that interested in owls.”

Akaashi’s eyes widen at that confession, he knows how much Bokuto loves owls.

There’s a beat of silence before Bokuto talks again. He looks away from Akaashi and clears his throat, “Uh, come sit in the living room.. do you want tea?”

Akaashi shakes his head, “I’m good, thank you.”

Once the two are seated, Akaashi feels his nerves come at him in full force. He looks at his lap, Bokuto is sitting on the sofa next to the couch, and Akaashi can’t help but note that this is the farthest he has sat from Bokuto in a while.

“... Bokuto.”

“Yes?”

“... I’m... I’m so sorry,” Akaashi looks up at Bokuto, his eyes are watery, “I’m sorry I didn’t cut off the deal as soon as something didn’t feel right... I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, and I’m sorry it took so long for me to come over today... I’m just- I don’t have a better word than that... I’m so sorry.”

Bokuto nods slowly, “After that whole thing happened I couldn’t believe that anything you said was real, especially the part about you really liking me and if I’m being honest that was my biggest issue... but... I’m pretty sure you weren’t lying about that now. I believe you so I accept your apology just... I have a couple of questions... is that okay?”

Akaashi’s eyes are wide, _‘It was that easy??? I was overthinking for nothing!’_

“Um,” Akaashi composes himself, “yeah... that’s fine.”

“Ok... so what do you do?”

“... Elaborate?”

“Well... what do you do? I’ve never heard of a job like this before in my life.”

Akaashi looks down and starts playing with his hands nervously, “I... I basically get hired by people to lead on their exes. Like, bad exes that have done them dirty at some point. I guess you could say I give people their awaited karma in a way? It sounds really bad, I know.”

When Akaashi looks up, Bokuto is looking at him with interest, “that’s... that’s kind of badass the way you just described it.”

Akaashi blushes in response.

The smile on Bokuto’s face doesn’t go unnoticed.

“I regret it though,” Akaashi confesses, “I don’t know why I kept doing it for so long... I knew it was a terrible thing to do and yet I kept doing it... I don’t blame you if you think I’m a bad person.”

There’s a couple of seconds of silence before Bokuto talks again, “I mean... it’s not that awful,” Akaashi raises an eyebrow at that, “I’m sure you had good intentions since you targeted bad people. Plus, I know you and you’re a good person.”

“I did but... I knew it was toxic and yet I kept doing it.”

“Well, if you know what you did wrong then you can fix it, no? Just stop doing it, nothing is stopping you I don’t think.”

Akaashi swallows, “I- I guess so... I was already planning on no longer doing it after you... before I caught feelings.”

Bokuto gives him a reassuring smile and the small blush on his face makes Akaashi’s stomach do flips, “see? You were already planning on changing all on your own. You’re ok Akaashi.”

He gives him another smile when Akaashi seems at a loss for words all before he loses eye contact with Akaashi; his whole demeanor changes.

_‘This is something I can never forget, his whole body changes along with his mood.’_

“so... why didn’t you break off the deal when you first started to realize things were off?”

Akaashi bites his lip, “I’ve had guys before that have pretended to be nice at first but once we’re in the “relationship” they become awful... I thought you may have been one of those people. Plus, I had never had a customer hire me just to ruin an innocent person’s love life .”

Bokuto looks concerned, “wait, were they mean to you, Akaashi?”

Akaashi looks away as he nods, “yeah... a lot were but there were also a lot of people who just cheated on me and pretended to be nice.”

Bokuto hums, “This actually makes a lot of sense now.”

“What does?”

“I dunno... don’t take this the wrong way but you always seemed to be impressed or taken aback by the smallest acts of kindness I did for you. I’m so sorry you haven’t had good experiences in relationships... real or not, you deserve better.”

Akaashi feels his heart clench, “you’re right... even you saying that I deserve better makes my head spin. I- I honestly was afraid to be in a real relationship... to have _real_ feelings for you or anyone else... I didn’t know what I’d do if it was the exact same as those other bad relationships,” Akaashi bites his lip and turns to look at Bokuto, he’s trying his best not to cry, “not until now at least. You’re so different from anyone else... I don’t want to let you go. The way you make me feel is so different from anything I’ve ever felt before and not to mention you’re the most kind, overall, amazing human being I’ve ever met... I knew from the beginning this was going to be different and I was a fool for thinking that the phrase “the customer is always right” was a valid one,” Akaashi takes in a breath of air before exhaling, a couple of tears roll down his cheek but he continues, “I can count the times I’ve acted out of emotions in two hands and half of the times I have are because of you. When I accepted being in a relationship with you, when I broke off the deal, when I didn’t tell you the truth earlier, and coming here today. For the first time I’ve known you, I didn’t overthink coming over to your apartment... the way can calm me down and accelerate me all at once is honestly insane, Bokuto. But either way, you change me for the better, and being without you has been the worst change that could’ve ever happened to me. I want this to work out, Bokuto... of course, if you’ll let me. It’s up to you.”

Bokuto swallows the lump in his throat but a few tears manage to roll out, “oh, Akaashi... you could’ve told me that you didn’t like me and asked to stay friends and I would’ve agreed to it.”

Akaashi’s eyes widen, “what? Seriously?”

Bokuto nods, he gets up and sits next to Akaashi. His arms wrap around him and Akaashi physically relaxes in an instant. Bokuto takes off Akaashi’s hat before resting his forehead on the back of his head.

“I just really missed you,” Bokuto mumbles into his hair.

“Me too,” Akaashi whispers.

They’re both quiet, enjoying each other’s presence since they had gone through about two weeks without it. Akaashi can feel Bokuto’s tears fall down the back of his neck but he doesn’t say anything. 

  
Akaashi finds himself liking the silence once again.

“Wait,” Bokuto suddenly says after a while, “”The customer is always right”? So you’re telling me this was all _one hundred percent_ a misunderstanding?”

Akaashi huffs out a short laugh, “yes, Bokuto.”

“What the hell!” Bokuto groans, “this means I was being dramatic for no reason!”

“Don’t be upset, you had the right to be “dramatic”,” Akaashi replies softly, “if it makes you feel better I was overthinking everything so in a way I was also being dramatic.”

Bokuto huffs, “stop trying to make me feel better, Akaashi.”

Akaashi leans into the embrace before kissing his boyfriend’s cheek.

Bokuto blushes, “I missed you.”

Akaashi laughs, “I know, you said that already.”

“I know,” Bokuto mumbles in reply, “I just really want you to know it.”

Akaashi smiles softly, “I missed you a lot too.”

“... I believe you.”

•••

When Kuroo hears his phone chime, he picks it up almost immediately.

“What is it?” Kenma asks; he’s obviously worried, Kuroo can tell by the way he puts down his switch.

“Whelp,” Kuroo replies, a grin spreads across his face, “everything is good.”

Kenma lets out a small sigh of relief, “good.”

“Agreed,” Kuroo flops on Kenma’s bed, “and it was all thanks to me.”

“No.”

“Yeah! I mean think about it, if Akaashi hadn’t come to the bar we were at then this would’ve never happened!”

“... you can't take credit for a coincidence.”

“Geez, I can’t believe you didn’t know God, Fate, and I were really good friends in high school.”

Kenma raises an eyebrow before turning back to his game, “You’re not, I know because your only friends were me and the rest of the volleyball team, loser.”

Kuroo sputters, “take that back!”

“No thanks.”

“Man, I should’ve just stayed outside the apartment and eavesdropped if I knew it was going to be like this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, hey! One more chapter and then it’ll be officially over! This took me a while to write, I’m so sorry for keeping you guys waiting! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I tried really hard to get it right :)
> 
> I’ll tell you guys the plots to my Bokuaka and Tsukiyama fic next chapter so that you guys can vote on that. Please leave suggestions for other Haikyuu ships (I hear you IwaOi and KuroKen shippers, I’m thinking of ideas rn >:) )
> 
> As always, thank you so much for reading!!
> 
> My Tumblr is: popcornfucker


	17. Hey Lover - Daughters of Eve + Gimme Love - Joji

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue 
> 
> You’ve made it to the end!!!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! Read the notes!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And to think that I thought of this story because of one line from Cooler Than Me lmao.
> 
> Thank you for all your support! These songs are just songs I thought were cute and fit the fluffy mood of this chapter. 
> 
> There were many songs that didn’t make it so here’s a link to my Musi and Spotify playlist:
> 
> Musi:
> 
> https://feelthemusi.com/playlist/6v3sab
> 
> Spotify:
> 
> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/490unaHvzSExHnzxDIRX8w?si=GQuvYDnDSfGkAPddmhsIBw
> 
> As always: please enjoy :) I’ll be replying to some comments now because I talk too much and I was too scared to spoil or something idk haha

“Do you need help paying for that?”

Tsukishima glares at Kuroo before giving him a fake smile, “no thanks. You should probably save up your money since you’ll most likely become irrelevant on YouTube in a couple of months.”

Kuroo clutches his chest, “Christ, you’re mean.”

Oikawa giggles, “you deserve it.”

“What are you doing here anyway?” Akaashi questions with a raised eyebrow.

“Why just me? Iwaizumi, Yamaguchi, and Tsukishima are here too!”

“I’m a regular,” Tsukishima mumbles as he gives Akaashi the amount of money needed for the book he’s purchasing.

“Ok then,” Kuroo gets a quick, almost unnoticeable glare from Tsukishima but he continues anyway, “what about Yamaguchi?”

“What’s it to you?” Tsukishima asks sharply.

“Overprotective boyfriend alertttt,” Iwaizumi mumbles under his breath.

“You’re one to talk!” Oikawa exclaims accusingly.

Yamaguchi rolls his eyes, he’s blushing now, “I had nothing else to do so I came along.”

Kuroo smirks, “ohhhh, so you _came_ along?”

Tsukishima clicks his tongue, “what are you? A high school boy?”

“He sure does have the mentality of one,” Akaashi mutters, “but seriously, what are you doing here?”

“I’m here to buy a book.”

Iwaizumi snorts, “good one, idiot, we all know you’re illiterate.”

Kuroo sputters, “why do you guys always want me to be the dumb, hot one? I’m so smart! I’m majoring in-“

“Chemical engineering, we know,” everyone except Yamaguchi says simultaneously.

Kuroo scowls, “This is why Yamaguchi is my favorite, he’s an angel.”

“Thanks,” Yamaguchi replies with a smile, “but I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to make you feel like _everyone_ was against you.”

Tsukishima smirks while Oikawa sputters.

“What happened to innocent Yamaguchi from high school? I hate it here,” Kuroo whines, “but anyway, I’m here because I have a proposition!”

“Of what sort?” Oikawa asks with a smirk; he winks at Kuroo.

“Oh ho ho!”

Iwaizumi shoots Oikawa a glare.

“It’s a joke! I could never be with Kuroo, his hair is too weird!”

“Wow... I don’t know why that hurt as much as it did,” Kuroo mumbles, “but,” he pauses to create an effect, “Bokuto is having a practice match today, I thought it’d be cool if we go see him and then head over to... I dunno... Iwaizumi and Oikawa’s apartment?”

“Why us!?” Iwaizumi questions.

“Because you guys haven’t hosted in forever!”

“Neither have them!” Oikawa whines, pointing at Tsukishima and Yamaguchi.

“You guys are slobs,” Tsukishima retorts.

Yamaguchi laughs shyly, “no! It’s not that!”

“It’s definitely that,” Tsukishima continues, “and if Bokuto is coming then there’s no way we’re having this little gathering at our apartment... not after... the incident.”

“That happened months ago, Tsuki!” Yamaguchi pouts, “forgive Bokuto already!”

Tsukishima seems to hesitate before frowning, “no.”

“Okay but Kenma and Akaashi haven’t hosted either!” Oikawa complains.

“If anything of Kenma’s got ruined, someone would get killed,” Akaashi replies as he puts Tsukishima’s book in a bag, “but seriously, you guys are crowding the desk.”

“Sorry!” Yamaguchi apologizes, he pulls Tsukishima aside gently.

“No, you two are fine. I’m talking about Kuroo, he’s not doing anything.”

“And Iwaizumi is?”

“I bought him coffee,” Iwaizumi defends.

“And I bring you joy, Akaashi!”

Akaashi’s face scrunches up, “no.”

“So when’s Bokuto’s match?” Oikawa asks, “I want to know more about how Akaashi is in relationships.”

“Aw! Have you guys been on any dates recently?” Yamaguchi questions enthusiastically.

Iwaizumi huffs, “saps.”

Yamaguchi turns to Iwaizumi, “It’s cute!” he argues before looking back at Akaashi, “you guys have been back together for like two weeks right? Is that even long enough for a date?”

“Not a proper one,” Akaashi replies, “I’ve just been going over to his apartment.”

“To do what, Keij-chan?” Oikawa asks teasingly.

Kuroo waggles his eyebrows, “yeah, tell us more.”

“I don’t think I want to know,” Tsukishima mumbles with a scowl.

Iwaizumi also scowls, “You two are pervs.”

“You have no idea how glad I am that the number of people that don’t want to hear about my sex life outweighs the number of those that do,” Akaashi glares at Oikawa, “I’m usually outnumbered.”

“Glad to know that this is what it’s like to work here and glad to know that I’ll never be working here,” Tsukishima says.

“If you want to we can host,” Yamaguchi pipes up.

“No-“

“That’s kind, Yamaguchi, but your apartment is way too nice and I still feel guilty about... the incident,” Kuroo interrupts.

“Agreed,” Iwaizumi mumbles.

Akaashi and Yamaguchi roll their eyes.

“You guys are so dramatic,” Yamaguchi laughs.

“I kinda see where they’re coming from though,” Oikawa chirps, “Glasses-kun is scary!”

“If I’m so scary then why do you guys keep pissing me off?”

“You just have a short temper,” Iwaizumi waves his off, “it’s not our fault.”

“... once again.... you’re one to talk...”

“What was that, shittykawa?”

The couple begins to bicker which causes Kuroo rolls his eyes, “his match is at five-thirty, be there or be squared.”

“Who even uses that phrase?” Oikawa teases before finishing an insult he was saying to Iwaizumi; quieter than his previous words to the group but definitely sharper, “anyways,” he turns back to the others, “I’m down to go.”

“It’s not like you had a choice,” Kuroo smirks, “Kenma is buying everyone a ticket in advance.”

“Well, that just doesn’t feel right,” Yamaguchi mumbles.

“He offered!” Kuroo puts his hands up in defenses, “don’t shoot the messenger!”

“I- ok,” Akaashi sighs, “but, Kuroo, Oikawa... try not to be embarrassing at the game.”

“What do you mean!?” The two men shout simultaneously, their tone sounds hurt.

“You two are embarrassing, so stop,” Iwaizumi explains.

Akaashi sighs, “no-“

Tsukishima smirks and high fives Iwaizumi.

“I meant,” Akaashi sounds exasperated, “try not to draw us too much attention. If Kenma or Kuroo gets recognized then there goes our peace for the night. Let’s lay low.”

“Don’t forget you, you’re kinda popular now,” Yamaguchi points out.

“When will you ask me to be in a video, bed head?” Oikawa pouts.

Kuroo purses his lips and pretends to be deep in thought, “hmmm...”, suddenly, he smiles devilishly, “never.”

Oikawa looks at him in pain, “Iwa! Do something about your friends!”

Iwaizumi sips his cup of coffee, “shit, it got cold.”

“Don’t ignore me!”

Akaashi sighs, “you’re all awful,” he pauses, “except for Yamaguchi.”

“That goes without saying,” Tsukishima mumbles.

Kuroo grins wickedly, “gross.”

Yamaguchi sputters, he’s blushing and Akaashi can’t help but smile at the scene. Suddenly, Iwaizumi groans, causing everyone to look at him.

“What’s wrong?” Akaashi asks.

“Oh nothing, just thinking about the fact that Bokuto’s ego is going to be at an all-time high once he finds out Akaashi is going.”

Now it’s Akaashi’s turn to blush.

“You and Oikawa are the most dramatic couple I’ve ever seen,” Kuroo mumbles, “but, you’ve got a point.”

“I can already hear his boasting,” Tsukishima frowns just thinking about it.

“That bastard sure does love the spotlight,” Oikawa adds, his eyebrows are furrowed but he has a smile on his face. 

“You’re one to talk, Oikawa.”

“Iwa-chan, let me criticize Bokuto in peace.”

“You’re all so mean,” Yamaguchi lets out a laugh, “but you do have a point, Iwaizumi.”

“He’s going to talk about how he has his own personal cheerleader or some cheesy bullshit,” Kuroo says with an annoyed frown.

Akaashi scoffs, he still has a blush on his face, “shut up.”

“Like that one cheesy song from like... 2015 or something?” Iwaizumi asks.

“Yeah! It was like... oh something-somthing cheerleader~”

“She is always right there when I need her~” Yamaguchi and Oikawa sing.

“That song was annoying,” Tsukishima mumbles.

“It’s totally Akaashi and Bokuto’s song though,” Kuroo teases. 

Akaashi looks at him in disbelief, mixed with a hint of disgust, “For you to assume that Cheerleader is Bokuto and I’s song is honestly disrespectful.”

“Wait what are you guys’ couple songs!?” Oikawa exclaims, he looks interested, “Kuroo, you first!”

“Tokyo Shawty by Space Dolphin.”

“Don’t know her, give me another one.”

“Pink Bubblegum by Lavi Kou.”

“You’re fucking with me, what song is it?”

“Bottom Bitch, Doja Cat.”

“God fuck you, Glasses?”

Tsukishima looks at him in disgust, “why would I tell you?”

“Iwa-“

“What nice weather we’re having.”

Yamaguchi laughs, “It’s Seventeen by Peach Pit.”

Kuroo wipes away a fake tear, “that’s cute as hell I hate you two.”

Tsukishima has a light blush on his face and he’s glaring at Oikawa, “What’s yours? Is it I Don’t Love You Anymore?”

Iwaizumi snorts, “that’s a good one.”

“MEAN! No, it’s Baby Boy by Kevin Abstract, fuck you.”

“That’s... questionable uh... isn’t the chorus “at this point you’re pretty much out of my mind”?” Kuroo questions.

“”BUT WHEN I CLOSE MY EYES I THINK ABOUT YOU EVERY TIME” FINISH THE LYRICS!”

“That’s probably worse than ours,” Tsukishima criticizes with a smirk.

“I bet it can't be worse than whatever Akaashi has,” Kuroo turns to look at Akaashi who is now on the store computer, checking up on book orders, “what’s your song?”

“We don’t have one.”

“What!?” Oikawa and Yamaguchi exclaim.

“Not everyone has to have a love song, saps,” Iwaizumi says, shaking his head. 

“Thank you,” Akaashi mutters. 

Yamaguchi pouts, “well, what song best describes your relationship.”

Akaashi stops typing and thinks about his answer for a genuine minute which surprises everyone. Not because of how long he took, but because he was actually participating in a conversation like this.

“I know.”

“Yeah?” Kuroo, Oikawa, and Yamaguchi question.

“Yeah,” Akaashi smiles softly, “it’s Right Down The Line, Sam Evian.”

Oikawa blinks, “... who?”

Yamaguchi’s eyes are watery, “that’s really cute.”

Kuroo’s eyes are equally as watery, “that's really, really fucking cute... I hate it.”

“I have no clue what song this is, why?” Oikawa questions, he looks disappointed.

Iwaizumi barks out a laugh, “how does it feel to be left out, shittykawa?”

“It’s a “people who’ve had to spend the night at Akaashi and Kenma’s apartment” reference,” Tsukishima explains with an evil smirk, clearly glad that Oikawa is suffering.

“When did you spend the night!?” Oikawa asks Iwaizumi.

“Remember when we had that whole misunderstanding before we got together?”

Oikawa nods.

“I spent the night at Akaashi’s and he would play music while he studied. Kenma wasn’t there the night I stayed over so he played it out loud,” Iwaizumi explains.

“Well... that makes sense but what about you two?”

“Remember when our roof collapsed because of our neighbors upstairs?” Yamaguchi reminds.

Oikawa wrinkles his nose, “yeah ok I see.”

“And _I’ve_ heard that song because after making sweet love to Kenma-“

“I don’t want to know,” Akaashi interrupts.

“Why are you so against me sharing my sex life!?” Kuroo shouts in faux-offense.

The gust of air that comes from the entrance makes Akaashi grimace. The group turns to look at two women around their age who have just entered the store, they’re both looking at them wide-eyed.

Akaashi doesn’t even turn to look at Kuroo but whispers, “you should probably go-“

“Yeah you’re right, I’m out.”

•••

“Is that really you two’s “normal civilian” disguise?” Tsukishima criticizes; they’re making their way to their seats.

“Yeah, you guys look hella suspicious,” Iwaizumi adds on.

“You’re wearing a hoodie and a mask as well. It’s the same thing but with that jean jacket, it’s slightly more fashionable.”

“Step the fuck up, Tsukishima.”

“You two need to keep it down,” Yamaguchi scolds.

“But you have to admit... those costumes are very counterproductive, you guys look sketchy,” Akaashi looks at Kenma and Kuroo up and down; they both have a hat, a face mask, and a hoodie on.

“I mean, if someone saw us they’d be like “hm... that _COULD_ be Kuroo and Kenma but I’m not sure” so then we’d be left alone,” Kuroo explains, “No one would come up to us unless they’re 100% sure! The possibility of us not being us is too embarrassing for them.”

Akaashi rolls his eyes.

“I expect this from Kuroo... but you, Kenma?” Iwaizumi teases.

Kenma shrugs, “I’m honestly just glad Hinata is playing because he’d be too loud.”

Oikawa laughs, “you’re right, that short shit would be screaming about the costumes.”

“Short shit-“ Tsukishima sputters.

Akaashi sighs, he walks closer to Kenma and Yamaguchi.

“So... how do you feel about watching Bokuto for the first time?” Yamaguchi asks with a playful smile.

Akaashi bites his lip and starts messing with his hands, “Uh... he doesn’t even know I’m coming. I didn’t know if it’d affect his play or not.”

“Akaashi, that would boost his morale and he’d play even better! You should tell him!” Yamaguchi exclaims.

“I dunno...” Akaashi is about to open his mouth but Kenma and Yamaguchi raise an eyebrow, “what?”

“You’re about to spiral,” Kenma points out, Akaashi can’t see his mouth but he knows he has a small, playful smile on his face. He’s known him long enough to know it’s there.

“You’re making fun of me.”

“Nooo,” Kenma says sarcastically, “I just find it amusing that you still get nervous.”

“I think it’s cute,” Yamaguchi says with a smile.

Akaashi blushes, “you two are bad friends.”

Yamaguchi and Kenma side-eye each other with a knowing look.

The group makes it to their seats, they’re right behind the railing and at a close distance. Akaashi used to hate going out to public places with his friends when it was everyone and when he didn’t have a boyfriend. This was because of the fact that he always ended up being a third (fifth? seventh?) wheel, but today he doesn’t mind. His boyfriend is on the court. Akaashi goes into their row first, followed by Kenma, Kuroo, Yamaguchi, Tsukishima, Oikawa, and, lastly, Iwaizumi.

“Every time I go into a gym, it brings back memories not gonna lie,” Kenma says to Akaashi.

Akaashi nods. He hasn’t been to a volleyball game since he was in high school. He didn’t play for his high school team, Akaashi played for fun, and, according to Kuroo, he was wasting his talents. The three played together often in the now-couple’s school gym along with other people from their team. Akaashi would come in after practice and to this day, he still doesn’t know how he got away with it for three years.

 _‘That doesn’t matter now. I doubt I would’ve pursued it professionally anyways so I did good on not letting it affect my studies in high school,’_ Akaashi thinks, _‘but how crazy is it that Bokuto plays the one sport I’m actually interested in?’_

Suddenly, his train of thought is interrupted.

“Regretting your life choices, Akaashi?” Kuroo teases.

Akaashi shakes his head with a small smile, “not at all.”

•••

To say Akaashi isn’t impressed is a straight-up lie.

_‘I’ve never seen anyone play volleyball like that.’_

The first time Akaashi saw Bokuto spike was a religious experience, to say the least. Akaashi’s eyes widened and he stared in awe, he stayed that way for a good thirty seconds before snapping out of it when he felt eyes on him. When he turned, all his friends were staring at him with a knowing look.

Akaashi flipped them off.

How did he go this long without ever going to Bokuto’s games? Who knows, but Akaashi can admit to his mistake.

Hinata still plays with so much effort to the point where it’s physically exhausting to watch, Kageyama still has that amazing form he has always admired and Akaashi can’t help but feel nostalgic.

“Remember when he first met you and he thought you were the shit?” Kuroo laughs, “he was so shocked to find out you didn’t play for a team, that poor kid had a fucking meltdown!”

Akaashi remembers that well, they had met by chance when he was with Kuroo and Kenma, it was after Kuroo had graduated. They played a game with a few other people, when it was over, Kageyama wanted Akaashi to teach him even after (shockingly) finding out he wasn’t in any team.

_‘Damn this is making me want to play volleyball.’_

Bokuto’s team wins the first set but during the second, Bokuto seems to be get discouraged after the blockers blocked him three times in a row. Akaashi begins to get worried, he bites his lip. He doesn’t really care about the outcome of the game but he knows Bokuto will be upset for the rest of the night.

The team is in the middle of a time out. Clearly, they’re trying to get Bokuto to calm down. He furrows his eyebrows more than before, his face drops and relaxes, he takes a deep breath, all before smiling and pointing at the crowd, that seems to do the trick because as the crowd goes wild, Bokuto’s spirits seem to lift. Akaashi cracks a smile.

_‘I worried for nothing.’_

“CAW, CAW!”

Akaashi flinches at the sudden outburst from Kuroo.

“What are you doin-“

“CAW CAW-“ Kuroo turns to look at him excitedly, “I do a bird call in the games so that he can find me-“ he cuts himself off and turns back to look over the railing, “CAW CAW!”

Everyone laughs at his antics except for Tsukishima who face palms and Kenma who stares at him with a judging look. 

And of course, Akaashi, who is now more nervous than he’d like to admit.

Kuroo is leaning against the rail and he unhooks his mask from one ear so that his voice isn’t muffled in any way. When Bokuto turns to look at him, he smiles even brighter and points at him. Kuroo points back at him before cupping his hands around his mouth to amplify the noise.

“AKAASHI IS HERE TOO!”

Akaashi feels his entire face flush as Kuroo grabs his hand and yanks him up. Akaashi smiles and waves awkwardly as Bokuto’s eyes and smile widen. Bokuto stares at him for a while before snapping out of it and throwing him a heart sign, causing Akaashi to smile and blush even harder than before.

“GOD I FUCKING HATE THEM!”

Akaashi’s eyes follow Bokuto, not even caring for Oikawa’s outburst. Bokuto doesn’t break eye contact as he backs up and taps on one of his teammates' shoulders.

He points at Akaashi and says something with excitement, the guy looks up at Akaashi, gives him a smile and nods in approval. Kageyama and Hinata look up, Kegayama’s eyes widen while Hinata starts waving at them like crazy. Everyone gives him some form of greeting. 

“Knowing Bokuto he just said “that’s my freaking baby up there” or some bullshit,” Kuroo says to Akaashi, he is grinning.

_‘Oh. I forgot... I’m about to be teased for the rest of the night.’_

“YOU GUYS ARE SO CUTE!” Oikawa and Yamaguchi exclaim simultaneously.

Iwaizumi shakes his head at their outburst but his eyes give away the fact that he’s smiling underneath his mask.

“What’re you guys so happy about?” There’s a slight edge to Akaashi’s tone but it wavers, his blushing face also gives him away.

“Nothing, it's just nice seeing you happy is all,” Kuroo says before waving him off, “we’ve talked about this before, it’s sappy. Now let’s look at your mans-“

Kuroo gets interrupted by someone tapping his shoulder. Kuroo turns around and sees a group of teenagers.

“Hey... are you Kuroo?”

Akaashi adverts their gaze and turns back to the game, they’ve already started playing again and Bokuto looks better than ever. He glances at him every once in a while. Akaashi folds his arms over the railing and rests his head as he watches Bokuto receive the ball. He still has a smile on his face.

“You look so lovelorn, Akaashi,” Oikawa teases, he raises his voice since they’re far apart.

“AKAASHI!?”

“Oops.”

Akaashi flinches at the teenagers but turns around and offers them a small wave. The teenagers look surprised.

“Holy shit! What’s next? Kenma?”

Yamaguchi, Oikawa, and Iwaizumi snicker at that. Akaashi also laughs before looking back at Bokuto who was staring at him, he looks as if he’s asking Akaashi if he was watching him.

Akaashi nods in return, _‘I’m here.’_

•••

After that, the game ends quickly.

“YOU’RE LIKE, THE OPPOSITE OF HIS KRYPTONITE! DO YOU KNOW HOW CUTE THAT IS!?” Oikawa exclaims, “I HATE YOU AND YOUR PERFECT LIFE. FUCK YOU AND YOUR MAC DEMARCO BULLSHIT!”

Iwaizumi is about to open his mouth but Akaashi turns to looks at him with a deadpan face, “were you here three weeks ago?”

Oikawa sputters, “shit I forgot about that, sorry!”

Akaashi tries to pretend as if Oikawa bringing it up effected him but he can’t, he’s buzzing with energy to see his boyfriend. The only proof of his excitement is the small smile on his face and the fact that his hands are clamped together. He feels impatient since they’ve been standing around the locker room, waiting for their friends, for about six minutes now.

 _‘Six minutes isn’t that long but I really want to see him.’_

Akaashi cringes at that.

“Speaking of Superman,” Tsukishima speaks up, “why wasn’t Kenma recognized? He looks exactly the same but with some accessories.”

Kenma is playing a game on his phone; he shrugs in response, “I’m sneaky.”

“You were just sitting there,” Kuroo murmurs.

“It sure would be a shame if I showed up in the background of one of those pictures and took the spotlight away from you, Kuroo,” Oikawa says, “then they’ll really, really, really want me to be in one of your videos, and that’s how I’ll launch into YouTube fame!”

“Both of you are ugly, no one is going to ask you two for anything,” Iwaizumi retorts.

“What!? Why do you guys love putting me down!?” Kuroo whines.

“Well, I don’t blame them for trying to keep you humble, remember high school?” Kenmalooks up, “maybe I should start to as well.”

“Please do,” Tsukishima mumbles. 

“I heard that!” Kuroo yells, “screw all of you, Yamaguchi... thank you for being a friend~”

“Don’t get him involved,” Tsukishima scolds, “he’s in no way your friend.”

“We’re friends!” Yamaguchi argues, “I won’t support you right now but we’re friends!”

“I rest my case. Have you guys even hung out one-on-one before?

Kuroo smirks, “yep. And I have a shit ton of pictures from that day to prove it too.”

Tsukishima makes a face, “no way.”

“Yes. Way.”

Yamaguchi rolls his eyes as Kuroo tries to find pictures all while arguing with Tsukishima.

“Iwaizumi.”

“Yeah, Kenma?” Iwaizumi asks, he looks bored out of his mind. 

“Oikawa wasn’t in the background of any pictures-“

Oikawa lets out a noise of disappointment.

“-But you were.”

“Wait what!?” Kuroo turns his attention to the group. Tsukishima is staring at Kuroo’s phone in disappointment, Yamaguchi is trying to hide his laughter.

“Iwaizumi appeared in the background and people want you to make a video with him.”

“What!?”

“How!?”

“You two seem awfully jealous,” Akaashi teases with a smirk. Oikawa and Kuroo are staring at Kenma’s phone in shock.

“I mean, I get it if his mask was off, he’s hot! Of course, I mean, he _is_ my boyfriend after all but he’s wearing a mask!”

“I guess you can just tell?” Yamaguchi offers.

“No, no, that doesn’t make sense! I’m supposed to be the hot mysterious friend people are begging to see on camera!” Oikawa whines.

Tsukishima smirks, “If it makes you feel better, the back of your head is in the pictures.”

“I don’t want to be in a video,” Iwaizumi mumbles, “but... if it pisses off Oikawa... I’m down.”

“Aw, that’s not fair! I’ve been asking you since you made your channel!”

“How many times do I have to tell you,” Kuroo looks at Oikawa, “You don’t like science like I do!”

“I like science!”

“Science fiction,” Iwaizumi points out. 

“You guys are too loud,” Kenma mumbles.

Kuroo sighs, “fine, both of you are going to be in my next video... Iwaizumi will be there the entire time and you can come in at some point.”

“Aww, why can’t we do the whole video together?”

“Because no one asked for you,” Tsukishima replies, his smirk looks even eviler than before.

“Now that’s just rude.”

Akaashi sighs, turning to Kenma and Yamaguchi who are now observing the other four men bicker, “why are we the only sane ones in the group?”

“Because we accidentally met the wrong people and never got rid of the problem,” Kenma replies as he looks down at his phone.

“Yeah, but you gotta admit... we’d be kind of lost without them,” Yamaguchi whispers, “we just can’t let them know.”

Akaashi nods, “their egos would get way too big for them.”

“If that’s even possible,” Kenma’s tone is teasing; he’s still looking at his phone, “It’s as if the place that they store their ego in expands every day.”

Yamaguchi snickers, causing Oikawa to look over.

“What!?”

Yamaguchi flinches at his outburst which makes Tsukishima say something snarky, Oikawa retorts, and so the bickering continues. 

“I take it back,” Yamaguchi mumbles, “we should get rid of them.”

Akaashi is about to say something but the sound of a door slamming open interrupts him.

“C’mon! Let us meet your hot boyfriend!”

Bokuto grabs Akaashi’s hand and begins to pull him towards the entrance of the building, he’s blushing, “let’s go! If we stay here for another minute, we’ll never leave!”

Kuroo laughs, “word!”

“Where’s Hinata?” Kenma asks as he’s being pulled by Kuroo, too engrossed in his game but aware of his surroundings.

“And Kageyama,” Yamaguchi adds.

“Who cares?” Tsukishima says with a grin.

“This is the happiest I’ve seen you, you suck,” Iwaizumi mumbles. 

“I have to agree with glasses.”

“Of course you would, Shittykawa.”

Akaashi rolls his eyes, “Bokuto-“

Bokuto jumps, “hey.”

“... Hi...” Akaashi pauses, “are you going to tell us why we’re walking so fast?”

“Well...” Bokuto’s blush had calmed down but now it’s back on his face and at full force, “my team wanted to meet you but because of the things they were saying in the locker room, I realized that they also wanted to embarrass me and I just can’t risk that.”

“You don’t need your team to do that for you,” Akaashi teases.

“Akaashi!”

Akaashi smiles up at his boyfriend, meeting his gaze for a few seconds before Bokuto looks forward to see where he’s going. Akaashi still has a small smile on his face but drops it when he feels Yamaguchi and Oikawa’s stare.

The group is about to exit when Hinata and Kageyama finally appear.

“OI! WAIT UP!”

Tsukishima sighs, “Farewell my paradise.”

The group waits on them to catch up. Once they’re mixed into the group, Hinata begins talking about the game and their team members as they walk out. They had planned beforehand to go to a restaurant after the game, stop at a liquor store, and then go back to Oikawa and Iwaizumi’s place. However, Bokuto thought it would just be Kuroo and Kenma at the game, not everyone. He thought the rest would be meeting them at the restaurant.

 _‘This feels nice,’_ Akaashi thinks, _‘... I love my friends... I’m so lucky.’_

Akaashi wants to cringe at that. He wants to but can’t and as he watches his group of friends talk amongst each other, he realizes that he’s happy, that this is his genuine, raw emotion at the moment and he can’t suppress it.

He feels on top of the world for the first time.

“Hey, Akaashi?”

“Yes, Bokuto?” Akaashi turns to look at the said man.

“Did you see me? Did I look cool? Did you see my cross-shot in the second set?”

Akaashi smiles and nods, “yes, it was very impressive.”

Bokuto grins, “thanks! You also looked impressive.”

Akaashi blushes, “I wasn’t doing anything.”

“Yeah but you’re hot so anything you do is impressive.”

Akaashi rolls his eyes but the blush and smile on his face prove that he doesn’t mean it. Bokuto shoots him a wink before talking to Kuroo.

_‘I’ve never been better.’_

“Akaashi,” Oikawa suddenly says, causing Akaashi to turn to look at him and Yamaguchi who are walking together.

“Yes?”

Oikawa waggles his eyebrows as Yamaguchi shoots him a thumbs up.

Akaashi groans and from the corner of his eye he can see Kenma looking at him. He’s teasing Akaashi with his gaze but no one would ever believe him if he said so.

“I hate all of you.”

Seems like Akaashi is off his game today because no one truly believes it. 

•••

“WAIT WHAT THE HELL WHY DIDN’T I KNOW THIS!?” Bokuto exclaims in shock.

“Lower your voice, Bokuto,” Akaashi scolds softly, there’s a blush on his face, “it’s not a big deal-“

“I- a setter is so important for my position, this is huge news!”

“Technically,” Kuroo begins, he has a smirk on his face, “you need a setter for every position.”

“Bro... I guess you’re right.”

“It’s because setter is the most important position, you can’t score without a setter,” Kageyama points out.

Tsukishima clicks his tongue, “untrue.”

“Here we go,” Kenma mumbles.

“How’s it untrue? It’s true.”

“You played with Yamaguchi for three years, he got points and never needed a setter to do it.”

Yamaguchi looks a bit flustered but doesn’t say anything, finishing up the dessert that he ordered.

“Ok, other than that.”

“You don’t have to exactly set the ball to spike, someone can receive it high enough,” Tsukishima adds on.

Kageyama is quiet for a few seconds.

“I win.”

“Fuck you, Tsukishima.”

“But you gotta admit!” Kuroo interrupts, “setter _is_ the coolest position.”

“No way!” Hinata and Bokuto exclaim.

“Its the brain, idiots!” Kuroo argues, “the amount of thinking to be a setter is something you’ll never understand!”

“You won’t either, Kuro,” Kenma mumbles.

“You wound me, I’m here defending your position and this is how you repay me!?”

“He’s right, setters for the win,” Oikawa chirps, “setters do everything better, most of the spikers I know are absolute brutes.”

“I’m going to kill you,” Iwaizumi threatens.

“Oh yeah? Make me.”

“That doesn’t even make sense, please stop,” Akaashi mumbles in disgust.

“Setters _are_ cool and all but middle blockers are definitely better than them. Maybe not better than ace but you know,” Hinata makes hand gestures, “you have to go BAM and think and... and... I dunno you have to do so much!”

“Thanks for saying my position is better than the Kings’,” Tsukishima bows his head with a fake, bitchy smile, “I truly appreciate it.”

Hinata groans, “Damnit! I guess I did do that.”

“You’re such an idiot,” Kageyama yells.

“Oi! I wasn’t complimenting _him_ , I was complimenting the position as a whole!”

“And that includes me.”

“And me!” Kuroo adds. 

“What’s wrong?” Akaashi asks Bokuto who has gone silent.

“No just...” Bokuto sighs, Akaashi gets worried, “thinking about how we could’ve been playing volleyball together this whole time.”

Akaashi looks at Bokuto with a deadpan expression.

“Dude... let’s do a beach trip,” Kuroo suggests, “like... all of us... we could play beach volleyball!”

“Like a couples getaway!” Oikawa exclaims.

Yamaguchi’s eyes widen, “Wait... I just realized we’re on a decuple date.”

“Is it really a date though? This isn’t romantic at all,” Kenma points out.

Kageyama purses his lips, “What _makes_ something a date?”

“Let’s not get into this again,” Hinata groans.

Iwaizumi hums, “I don’t think double dates are real dates.”

“What!?” Bokuto and Kuroo cry out simultaneously.

Iwaizumi shrugs, “I think dates are a one on one thing because if you have more people then it just feels like you’re hanging out.”

“I can see that,” Akaashi replies, “... yeah, I can see where you’re coming from.”

“Akaashi! No, you can’t side with him, that was mad disrespectful what he just said,” Bokuto points at Iwaizumi, “you fool, double dates are the best because it’s you, a good friend, and someone you love! What’s better than that!?”

“Uh...sex? That’s something you can’t do on a double date.”

“I mean, you could sneak off,” Yamaguchi suggests.

“Or even better,” Kuroo smirks, “make it a foursome.”

Kenma’s gaze is once again a judging one.

“You know, I seriously think Kuroo and Bokuto would’ve dated for the hell of it if they hadn’t met someone else,” Tsukishima mumbles into his drink.

Everyone nods their head in agreement.

“Well, I’m glad we didn’t date earlier because then I would’ve definitely cheated on Bokuto without a doubt,” Kuroo puts an arm around Kenma, a grin on his face.

“I hate it here,” Iwaizumi mumbles as Yamaguchi makes a face he only makes when something is extremely cute to him. 

“A power couple...” Hinata whispers.

“Don’t throw around that term, Kuroo’s head will get bigger,” Tsukishima whispers to him, causing Yamaguchi to giggle.

Bokuto nods, ignoring what everyone but Kuroo said, “ditto, Akaashi is irresistible.”

Oikawa gasps, “It’s a setter trait, setters are always attractive.”

Akaashi blushes, “alright let’s not do this.”

“It’s the truth! Dude, Akaashi... you’re hot!”

Akaashi blushes harder at Bokuto’s words and at everyone’s nods.

“Oi, crappykawa, if it’s a setter trait, then why are _you_ so ugly?”

“Iwa-chan!”

“No, but now that I think about it, he’s right,” Kuroo mumbles, “I’ve never met an unattractive setter.”

“Thanks!” Oikawa throws Kuroo a peace sign which makes the raven grit his teeth.

“You’re so annoying.”

“Get your friends, Iwa.”

“They’re your friends too, _you_ get him.”

Bokuto nudges Akaashi, “So what do you think about the beach idea?”

“Sounds fun.”

“Hell yeah! When we go, I want you to set for me.”

Akaashi hums, “what makes you think I’m good?”

Bokuto sputters, “Kageyama was talking about you with so much admiration a couple of minutes ago and you really thought you could ask me that!?”

Akaashi blushes, “it’s not admiration.”

“It’s definitely that! But either way,” Bokuto pauses for effect, “we’d be such a cool power couple.”

Akaashi rolls his eyes with a smile, “why are you guys so stuck on this power couple thing?”

“Because we can't let Oikawa and Iwaizumi win it, Oikawa loves bragging!”

“And you don’t?”

“Well...” Bokuto purses his lips before waving off Akaashi, “that’s different, he’s kind of an asshole!”

Akaashi laughs, “you’re not wrong.”

After a couple more minutes of bickering amongst each other and side conversations, the group finally decides to leave. Half of them make it past the door before a girl grabs Akaashi’s arm.

“Akaashi!?”

Akaashi turns to look at her, his eyes wide in surprise before going back to normal, “oh... hello, Minami-san.”

“So polite! You know you don’t have to call me that! I haven’t seen you since,” she lowers her voice, “the job.”

“Yeah, how are you?”

Akaashi is awkward, he knows it, but he has gone through enough awkward things to have a mental list of ways to diffuse certain situations. One situation he still doesn’t know how to overcome is when he comes across people he helped with his ex business.

“I’m good! Arai-chan has a new girlfriend now,” Minami chirps, “are you still doing your business?”

Akaashi remembers Arai and her ex very well. A messy situation, really, and also the first time he ever fake-dated a girl. Minami is Arai’s best friend and the person who sought out Akaashi. It’s been a while but Minami is still as cheerful and nosy (in a tolerable way).

“Uh... no.”

“What!? You were a lifesaver! Why did you stop?”

“He got a boyfriend,” Bokuto answers with a smile, he extends his hand to offer a handshake to Minami, “nice to meet you, I’m Bokuto!”

Minami’s eyes widen and a smile spreads across her lips as she takes Bokuto’s hand. “Wowww! I see why you stopped Akaashi!” She exclaims before winking at Akaashi, causing him to blush.

“Uh, yeah... Bokuto this is Minami, her friend was one of my clients.”

“Oh wow! I’ve never met anyone from your job before,” Bokuto chirps, “it’s _very_ nice to meet you.”

“Aw, you too! I always wanted Akaashi to find love and you seem really kind! I’m happy for you, Akaashi! Good job!”

Akaashi wants the floor to open up and swallow him whole when he meets Bokuto’s gaze, “thank you.”

“Yeah, yeah,” she waves him off, “I have to go now, I’m here with my boyfriend, I’ll see you around!”

“Yes, see you around,” Akaashi nods before walking out with Bokuto. Everyone else had already gone outside.

“Who was it?” Oikawa asks.

“Minami.”

“Yoooo! She was dope as hell! Where is she!?” Kuroo asks.

“Inside with her boyfriend so please don’t bother her.”

“She was cool, remember she had a motorcycle!?” Hinata exclaims with excitement.

“And Kageyama almost crashed it? Yes... as a matter of fact I do.”

“Why’d you bring that up Tsukishima?” Kageyama groans.

“Because I feed off your misery.”

As the group begins to walk to the liquor store, Bokuto is quiet and falling behind the group with Akaashi.

“What’s wrong?” Akaashi whispers.

“Nothing, I was just thinking... you really helped people out... she called you a lifesaver...”

“She’s exaggerating,” Akaashi mumbles, “all I did was get back at someone they hated, it's not like I saved them.”

“Yeah but I guess you made them feel better,” Bokuto pauses, “... do you ever want to do it again?”

“Do what?”

“You know.... start up your business again?”

Akaashi let’s out a small, breathless laugh.

“What’s funny!?”

Akaashi shakes his head, “it’s funny that you think I’d do that job again... Bokuto, starting that job up again would mean losing you and I don’t want that.”

A smile spreads across Bokuto’s face and his face heats up ever so slightly.

“It’s not that big of a deal,” Akaashi mumbles, embarrassed by his reaction.

“Akaashi a couple of weeks ago could never is all I’m saying.”

Akaashi shrugs, “I guess you’re right.”

Bokuto takes his hand, “c’mon, let’s walk quicker because we’re a little _too_ far behind.”

Akaashi nods and squeezes Bokuto’s hand as they both begin to speed walk closer to their group of friends.

“You guys done talking shit?” Kuroo asks.

“What!? You and Kenma are definitely the couple that talks the most shit!”

“So we’re just going to ignore the fact that Yamaguchi and Tsukishima exist?” Hinata questions, “they’re straight-up bullies!”

“Yamaguchi is _not_ a bully,” Iwaizumi replies.

“That’s right, I’m sweet,” Yamaguchi gives Hinata his 100 watts smile.

“Ah! So bright!” Bokuto cries out.

“Yamaguchi, Hinata, and Akaashi’s smile could blind a man,” Oikawa says, “and of course me but I didn’t want to add myself, I’d look too conceited.”

“More than usual?”

“Kageyama... you were always one of my favorite students,” Iwaizumi says with a proud look on his face.

“Man, why do I always have to get bullied!?”

“Welcome to the real world, pal,” Kuroo mumbles as he pats Oikawa on the back.

“Ha!” Bokuto barks out.

“Bokuto,” Kenma says sharply, “you’re on thin ice.”

“Akaashi!”

Akaashi lifts up his hands in defense, “It’s Kenma.”

Bokuto pouts but as soon as Kuroo begins to tell a story, he stops and listens intently.

Akaashi tried to pay attention to Kuroo’s words but he’s lost in thought. The way the city lights hit Bokuto’s face is more distracting than anything else.

Well, that is until Oikawa makes his way to him and taps him on the shoulder, “Welcome to the lovesick club.”

•••

“I can't believe you broke a bottle of champagne!” Kuroo cackles.

“It was an accident!” Hinata cries out. 

Bokuto laughs boisterously, “how do you accidentally drop a bottle you had been holding for minutes!? The owner was so disappointed!”

Tsukishima massages his temples, “it’s too early into the night for this.”

They had just arrived at Oikawa and Iwaizumi’s apartment with several bags full of alcoholic drinks.

“We should probably quit drinking this much,” Kenma mumbles, he seems happy to finally take off his face mask, unlike Iwaizumi and Kuroo, he kept it on all night, “we should introduce a new thing to do while we hang out.”

“What do you suggest we do?” Kuroo questions, “eat a vegetable?”

Kenma clicks his tongue, “that’s not what I meant.”

“Bro, what if we learn how to crochet!” Bokuto exclaims, “like... as a group project!”

“That sounds like something a lot of people will get angry over,” Akaashi replies.

“Not tryna point any fingers but...” Oikawa points at Kageyama, Bokuto, and Iwaizumi.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Iwaizumi and Kageyama ask at the same time.

“Gross, you sound just like him, Tobio!”

“I feel like I could do it!” Hinata exclaims, “like... it doesn’t seem _too_ hard.”

“It’s actually pretty easy... well at least I think so,” Yamaguchi pipes up.

“Woah! You can do it, Yamaguchi!?” Hinata asks.

Yamaguchi shrugs, “kinda, I’m not a professional though.”

“That’s better than any of us can do,” Akaashi assures.

“Wait so is this a thing?” Bokuto asks.

“Bro, actually, I’m down, the week after we could start doing... I dunno... bob ross paintings?”

Bokuto gasps, “holy shit you’re a genius.”

“I know, after all, I am majoring in chemical engineering.”

Everyone groans at that.

“We get it, you’re good at chemistry, but how are you at other subjects?” Tsukishima questions.

“I’m actually pretty good at everything else, thank you very much.”

“Cool conversation but can you guys place the stuff on the counter?” Iwaizumi cuts in, “and start taking the stuff out of the bag and shit.”

Akaashi doesn’t have any bags so he stands on the side, watching everyone walk around the apartment, mostly everyone is helping but those who don’t have bags go to the living room and start setting up whatever board game they’ll be playing tonight. Akaashi feels a wave of happiness and comfort wash over him and for the second time today, he thinks about how lucky and happy he is. He looks at Bokuto talk animatedly with Kuroo, Iwaizumi, Kageyama, Tsukishima, and Hinata.

_‘I’m so fucking lucky.’_

Bokuto makes eye contact with him and smiles, he never stops talking though. Akaashi feels a second wave of emotion wash over him, this time it’s fondness.

_‘I could get used to this happiness.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to give you guys a nice satisfying ending so sorry it took so long to write. The state of the world is very scary right now so I hope I was able to keep your mind off of it for at least a couple minutes. 
> 
> And I’d like to write more :)
> 
> So here are two plots I’ve already thought and have written a bit of, so please vote on them:
> 
> Tsukiyama: Another song fic, this time inspired by Boyfren by Loveleo. Basically, Yamaguchi gets a boyfriend and Tsukishima is trying to get him to break up with his boyfriend (it’s pretty self explanatory, full of awkward shenanigans and pettiness).
> 
> Bokuaka: This is a bit harder to explain but I plan on this one just being a fluffy, kind of funny (my comedy isn’t great, bear with me), slowburn... I don’t think there’ll be angst. It’s in Bokuto’s POV and basically, Bokuto is walking down the street with Kuroo one day and sees the finest man he has ever seen, he’s there the next day too and Bokuto is an awkward mess. Then it goes on from there. It sounds vague but I promise there’s more lol.
> 
> Anyways, thank you so much once again. I hope you enjoyed this fic, I’ll be back as soon as the votes come in and I finish writing.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it, I really didn’t expect for so many people to like this story, thank you so much!!!!
> 
> Tumblr: Popcornfucker

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter is hella short but the others aren’t, I have a lot already written and am actually pretty excited to post it. Hope you enjoyed, thank you for reading!


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